


Unexpected

by KuroKitty (HaleYes)



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Age Difference, But underage tag jic because of the coming of age element, Ciel is age of consent, Ciel is smol, Crossover, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Protective Levi, Size Difference, So are all of the 104th, and the size difference, jealous Levi, mildly obsessive Levi I guess, mostly canonverse for both fandoms, one sided ereri - Freeform, so you don't get squicked, traumatized Ciel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-20
Updated: 2016-06-27
Packaged: 2018-05-22 07:09:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 23,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6069943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HaleYes/pseuds/KuroKitty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Those closest to Levi begin to worry about the normally composed captain when his unrequited feelings toward Eren start to impact both his work and personal life.  In a last ditch effort to pull Levi out of a downward spiral that has been causing concern, Erwin sends him on a mission to give him some space and a chance to clear his head.</p><p>Levi accepts the task, understanding that he needs to let go of his anger and that finding someone to share his life with likely isn't in the cards for him.  What he discovers on his mission is wholly unexpected but exactly what he needed.</p><p>However, finding his soul mate is only the beginning.  Holding onto the boy will be the biggest challenge he ever faced - one that could destroy the lives of everyone he cares about.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> If you know me, you know I love both Levi and Ciel. I've lowkey shipped them together for a while (two of my favorite smol grumps), but I was hesitant to invest the time in writing a fic about them, in spite of having an idea for it that kept the both in mostly canonverse, because I thought it would lack any audience.
> 
> I decided to write this anyway, and I did it for a very specific reason.
> 
> This fic is for every shipper that has been told their ship is invalid because it isn't or won't be canon. Canon shouldn't restrict your shipping, that's fan content. Be creative and imaginative and don't ever feel as though you have to explain your ship with canon evidence to anyone <3 I threw two characters from completely different universes together... don't let anyone else ever stop you from doing the same and exploring any ideas you might have for a story or art!
> 
> All of that said, I hope you all enjoy my attempt to merge these two worlds! I had a lot of fun conceptualizing this and I hope you do reading it!
> 
> Thank you so very much to @britefairy03 for beta reading this story for me and all of your wonderful feedback <3 You were a great help!

Levi sighed, his eyes narrowed as he watched the younger Scouts talk loudly over their meal in the mess hall, boisterous and with little regard for the searing headache they were giving the captain. Erwin had said he needed to spend more time with the brats when they weren’t training or on missions, socialize with them, and he had put Levi on mess hall duty to try and force it out of him. 

Levi hadn’t thought there was anything wrong with keeping his relationships with all of them professional. Hell, it had been because he caught feelings for one of the little shits that he had tried to avoid them all so much more in the first place. 

He hadn’t acted inappropriately. Hell, he hadn’t even said a word to the kid about it. Eren was so wrapped up in the asshole that was Jean Kirstein that Levi only managed to register as a superior to him. 

It wasn’t as though Levi was much good with relationships, dating or even flirting as it was, so there was a good chance the brunet probably thought Levi loathed him anyway. He could barely even picture himself asking the teen out or doing whatever it was that boyfriends did with each other when they weren’t having sex. Share a room together? Hold hands? Cuddle? 

Levi snorted, picking up his teacup. Maybe it was for the best Jaeger didn’t return his interest. The kid would probably be pretty disappointed with him and his lack of finesse with all of this bullshit. 

It didn’t exactly negate his annoyance or frustration when he watched him with Jean, however. Jean was a loud mouthed dick and Eren deserved better. Sure, Levi would be shit at some of the boyfriend things Eren might expect, but he’d be a hell of a lot better suited for him than Jean. What could Jean give him, anyway? A migraine? 

He hadn’t intended on taking it all out on Jean, even though the prick deserved all of the extra laps and chores Levi had dumped onto him before Erwin had taken notice. A little hard work might make him less of an ass, Levi reasoned. 

Erwin saw through that. 

He always fucking did. 

Levi needed to learn to respect that Eren was in a relationship with Jean and wasn’t interested in him, or so Erwin said. It was real easy for the commander to lecture him about how there were other fish in the lake and he should support Eren’s relationship with a jackass when Erwin was fucking his own pretty blond every damn night. 

What the hell did Erwin know about anything. 

He was so happy ever since he’d gotten Armin into his bed that Levi could barely stomach being around him. And he thought he had some right, some business, lecturing Levi about how he should feel and giving him ridiculous pep talks about how he would find someone that wanted him back eventually. 

Well, there were a limited amount of people out there and Levi could barely stand most of them. The few he could, he wasn’t attracted to. Then Eren had come along and he had been the first person Levi could remember being around that didn’t irritate the fuck out of him and he wanted to touch. 

Hell if all that hadn’t blown up in his face. 

Now he was stuck with a lump in his chest every time he looked at the damn kid and rage in his gut whenever he heard the loud mouth of the son of a bitch that brought him to bed every night. 

People were under some misguided assumption that he gave zero fucks about anything, but the truth was that when he cared, it was deep and powerful, nearly obsessive. 

He saved all his fucks for the shit that really mattered; then he had a lot to give. 

It would have been easier to get over Jaeger if Erwin didn’t insist he needed to get over it in _his_ way, by learning to suck it up and be around him, to coexist with the one person that had made him feel like maybe his life could be something a little better but had no interest in doing that. 

At least not in the way Levi wanted him to. 

It hurt worse the way the damn kid was always trying to impress him. How he clearly looked up to him. 

It made Levi feel like shit. 

He wanted Eren’s attention, he wanted the teen to notice him, but Eren admired him as a captain. As Humanity’s Strongest Soldier. Not as a love interest. 

Jean got all that. 

Leave it to Jaeger to choose such a bastard. It made it all sting even more. 

How the kid could pick Jean when _he_ was available drove him up the wall. 

It was all bullshit. 

“Levi,” Hanji said, tapping his shoulder from behind and interrupting his thoughts. “Erwin would like you to come by his office, there’s something he needs to discuss with you.” 

Levi could only imagine the look of displeasure he gave Hanji in response, her eyebrows arching high above her glasses. 

“Don’t hate me, I’m just the messenger,” she said, taking a step back and holding her hands up in surrender. 

“It’s fine,” Levi mumbled, getting up and brushing his hand down the front of his white shirt to push out the wrinkles. “Can you keep an eye on these idiots?” 

Hanji nodded, giving Levi a weak, sympathetic smile. 

Everyone knew Levi loathed being on mess hall duty. 

He made his way to the commander’s office, hoping that whatever it was that Erwin planned to bother him with it wouldn’t be something that would extend his evening. All he wanted to do was go back to his room and nurse his headache alone in the dark. 

“Levi, come in,” Erwin said when he looked toward the open door that the angry captain had just knocked on, Levi’s eyes set on him with annoyance. “Why don’t you shut the door and sit down, there is something we need to discuss.” 

Levi frowned, reluctantly following his superior’s suggestion that was really a thinly veiled order. It was clear that whatever this was, it was going to be a pain in his ass and take a while. Exactly what he’d been hoping against. 

“What is it?” he asked when he sat down, glowering up at the blond with a scowl. 

Erwin sighed and appeared to be bracing himself, setting aside a pile of paperwork and taking a few moments to collect his thoughts before he began to speak. 

“Levi, as your friend and your commander, your behavior lately has become concerning to me,” Erwin started levelly, looking the shorter male directly in his eyes. “I think you know what this is about.” 

“I haven’t done anything and I’ve followed your orders,” Levi countered, unwavering as he stared back at the commander. 

“Your treatment of Kirstein is unacceptable, Levi. You’re in a leadership position and you can’t let your emotions control you so much…” 

Levi snorted, shaking his head. “Everyone around here knows I have zero tolerance for bullshit. I haven’t crossed any lines with that little shit.” 

Erwin sighed, leaning forward in his chair, closer to Levi and lowering his voice. “He went to Mike and asked him if he has personally offended you in some way, Levi. People have taken notice that you’ve been riding him hard over minor things. Lucky for you, Jaeger…” Erwin paused, watching Levi’s eyes flash with interest at the mention of the teen’s name. He frowned before continuing. “Jaeger defended you and told Kirstein you must see potential in him and that’s why you’re coming down so hard on him, because you want to push him to be his best. But, I think you and I both know that isn’t the case.” 

Levi shook his head, mumbling under his breath. It figured that Eren would defend him. Shit like this was exactly why he couldn’t get over the damn brat. 

“I told you that forcing me to be around them was a bad idea,” Levi pointed out, crossing his arms defiantly over his chest. 

“I realize that I may have made a mistake,” Erwin conceded with a solemn nod, looking over the captain with concern. “That’s why I’ve decided that I’m going to facilitate you getting some emotional distance from all of this, so hopefully when you get back, you’ll be able to function in your position as a leader here without bias.” 

“Get back from where?” Levi asked with a snort, an eyebrow flicking upward. 

“I’ve decided to have you lead a team outside the walls to move some of the materials that were left behind in the forest on our last expedition and return them to one of the castle ruins for safe keeping until our next mission,” Erwin explained, watching Levi carefully. 

“So you think sending me out there and putting soldiers’ lives in danger is what’s best?” Levi asked with a sarcastic chuckle. “All of this because you’re afraid I’ll give some brat too hard of a time if I stick around?” 

“No,” Erwin sighed, folding his hands. “I think you need some space, some time away from all of this to get your head clear and get some perspective. There are other boys out there, you just need to keep looking…” 

Levi narrowed his eyes, sneering back at the commander with disgust. “Spare me the bullshit, Erwin. It took me thirty-four years to find this one. It’s not something I was looking for or even wanted. Do you think I fucking enjoy this? I’d rather be alone.” 

“Levi,” Erwin started, shaking his head with dismay. “I want you to be happy, we all do, but you need to accept that that it probably won’t be with Eren…” 

“I don’t need you or anyone else to worry about me,” Levi said lowly, standing up with frustration. “I don’t fucking care, I’ll do the stupid mission. When I come back, I’ll make sure whatever all of the bullshit that got into my head over the brat is gone and then you all can leave me the hell alone about it.” 

“Levi, it’s natural to be upset,” Erwin said with sympathy, standing up and taking a step toward Levi, only to be waved off by the shorter man. 

“I’m not upset with anyone but myself for being an idiot. I’m no good with any of this shit, I’ll be fine, I’m better off out there working,” Levi said gruffly, taking heavy steps toward the door. “I’ll report in the morning for the mission. If it’s alright with you, I’d like to take the rest of the night off to get some rest.” 

Erwin nodded, clearing his throat and watching his friend walk away from what was obviously an uncomfortable situation. “That’s fine. Take some time for yourself to prepare. I’ll brief your team and have them ready for your input tomorrow.” 

He stood, taking a few large strides to catch up with his subordinate, a stack of papers in his hand. 

“You should read these over. It’s the mission plan and what materials I’d like your team to bring back with you and their last known locations.” 

“Yeah,” Levi mumbled, snatching the folder from Erwin and slipping out the door. He’d read it. Hell if he had anything better to do with his time. 

It was a relief to return to his room and lock the door behind him, partially shutting out the noise of the other soldiers in the barracks, though not completely giving Levi the sense of being alone. It was one of the things he was currently looking forward to in spending a few nights outside the walls. It would be quiet and peaceful at night, just his team with him, mature scouts that would take the time to rest and enjoy the silence themselves. 

He sat as his desk, rifling through the papers Erwin had given to him halfheartedly, trying to focus even though his thoughts continually wanted to drift to his conversation with Erwin and the loneliness he felt that he desperately wanted to ignore. 

It wasn’t just Jaeger; he was ready to have a partner. He was tired of coming home to an empty room and a cold bed. He had no one to share his life with or his accomplishments, not in any way that really mattered to him. 

He’d fantasied about Eren being that person in his life, but if he was really being honest with himself, the younger scout probably wasn’t ready for that level of commitment or domestication. He and Jean still acted like rowdy, immature teenagers a lot of the time and Levi could barely imagine Eren being happy with his boring lifestyle of coming home and drinking tea and reading in front of a fire. 

He sighed, setting down the papers and starting a fire, taking a seat in his armchair in front of it and pouring some scotch from the decanter on his side table. 

It was possible some people were just better off alone, meant to go through life providing for everyone and never for _someone._

Levi knew it was probably time to resign himself to being exactly that sort of man and find acceptance with it. 

He dragged himself to bed after another finger of scotch to numb himself, tugging the blankets up to his chest and staring at the ceiling. 

At his age, there should be someone curling up beside him every night. Erwin had it now and Levi couldn’t say he wasn’t jealous. Armin was pretty and petite, and Levi presumed, lovely to hold. 

Levi couldn’t even remember the last time he’d held anyone, but it was likely a dying soldier. As much as he searched his memories as his eyes became heavy, he couldn’t recall holding anyone in any sort of romantic way. 

It was likely he wouldn’t. 

He barely tolerated most people as it was. 

Most people hardly enjoyed his company. 

Levi fell asleep with that thought on his mind, the sound of drunken soldiers swirling through the hallway outside his room, scouts half his age enjoying their lives more than he ever had. 

People weren’t entitled to happiness and some would never have it. 

He prepared his team the following morning with the understanding that fighting for humanity would have to be his focus. It was the one thing he was good at and that he felt he had value in doing. 

There were some people that didn’t even have that much. 

It was a fairly simple mission, one that they should be able to complete in a matter of three days, the first and last of which being strictly for traveling from and to home. Their nights would be spent at the ruins of an old castle that was a day’s ride by horseback outside the walls in the direction of the forest where they’d had a strategic battle on their last expedition. Some of the cannons and weapons had been damaged and left behind, but it was in their best interest to gather the supplies and bring them home so they could be repaired, budget cuts putting a strain on the production of any new materials for the Scouts. 

Petra, Olou and Gunther pulled the wagons while Levi and Eld rode out in front, prepared to take down any titans they might come across or redirect the others away from conflict. It was an easy, uneventful ride to the ruins, a slight disappointment to Levi in that he wouldn’t have minded taking his frustration out on a titan or two on their way. 

By the time they had eaten and set out their bedrolls, most everyone was exhausted and turned in immediately – veterans as they were – while Levi excused himself to sit outside at the edge of one of the stone walls that overlooked the surrounding land. The world looked safe and welcoming, deer feeding in the meadows and rabbits scurrying past them in the moonlight. The titans were inactive at night and to an outsider, it would seem that humanity living behind walls was unnecessary in this moment when all the world seemed as it should be, with no predator having so much power that they were nearly undefeatable and inescapable to their prey. 

“Levi?” 

The captain didn’t need to turn his head to know it was Petra, as she was the only female on his team. Instead he watched the animals, the creatures that were essentially undisturbed by the titans’ presence. 

“Do you need something?” he asked, keeping his back to his subordinate. 

Petra wrung her hands together, taking a step closer to the captain and then freezing. 

“I thought… maybe… you might like someone to talk to. Besides Erwin…” She said quietly, trailing off as Levi’s shoulders hunched in frustration. 

“So he said something to you,” Levi said darkly, eyes narrowing in spite of the beauty in front of him. 

“I sort of… figured it out on my own,” Petra admitted, taking a few timid steps closer. “We’ve known each other a long time and you know how well we all work together. We notice these things…” She chuckled nervously. “Remember how everyone else knew Olou and I liked each other before either of us would admit it?” 

“This isn’t like you and Olou,” Levi said lowly. The last thing he wanted to do was have another conversation about Eren. “Whatever it was with him, it’s not mutual and it wouldn’t work out even if it was. We’re not right for each other and I’ve accepted that.” 

“Have you?” Petra asked gently, sitting on the wall’s ledge beside Levi. “It’s okay to be disappointed…” 

“You sound like Erwin,” Levi snorted, shaking his head. “I’m fine. If I’m meant to be with someone, I’ll find them eventually. It wasn’t Eren.” 

“Are you in love with him?” Petra asked, cocking her head with concern. 

“No,” Levi said truthfully, finally turning slightly to look at the soldier sitting beside him. “I don’t even think I’m capable of that. Which is why he’s better off with someone else.” 

“Oh, Levi, I don’t think that’s true…” Petra said sadly, her eyes so filled with sympathy that Levi’s stomach turned. “You just need to find the right person to love…” 

“Go back to your husband,” Levi mumbled, turning away from her and back to the animals in the field. “We have an early morning and a long day ahead of us.” 

“Y-yes sir,” Petra said quietly, getting up slowly and looking over her shoulder as she walked away from the captain and back into the inside of the castle where the rest of the team were sleeping. 

Levi didn’t want her pity. 

He wanted to never feel a damn thing again. 

And when he went to sleep alone in one of the towers that night, emptiness consumed him. 

He avoided Petra as much as possible the next morning, wanting nothing more to do with any conversations about Eren – especially considering the entire reason he was leading this mission was to get the damn brat off his mind. Instead, he focused solely on their mission, making their way toward the ancient forest to collect all of the gear and machinery that had been abandoned there. 

The plan was simple, really. He and Eld would go out ahead and take care of any random titans to clear the way for the others with their wagons. Should there be a group of titans, they would turn back and warn the others, allowing them to either regroup and return the following day or drop their wagons and fight as a team if it was a manageable amount of titans. 

As it was, they were relatively lucky, the two of them making it to the forest without spotting any titans and deciding to split up once inside. They would cover more ground that way and hopefully finish their mission more quickly. After all, they usually didn’t venture outside the walls in such small groups, even if they were some of the most highly trained and elite soldiers that humanity had to offer. 

Levi had traveled deep into the forest when he spotted three titans, all gathered strangely enough around the same tree. There were two that were 15-meter class and one that appeared a little larger, all reaching up at the tree and attempting to grab something from it, taking no notice of Levi as he rode closer. 

He heard the strangest sound, similar to a scream but not quite, and he looked up the tree, squinting to search for what the titans were after. They had only ever shown interest in humans, never animals like deer or horses, so it made little sense for them to be chasing after a bird or squirrel. 

There was another scream and Levi gasped with shock, making out the form of what appeared to be a small person clinging to the truck of the tree in a very strange way. 

“What the fuck,” he whispered under his breath, staring up with confusion. How anyone – how a child – could have gotten all the way out here alone absolutely floored him. 

He didn’t spend another moment thinking about it, releasing his horse’s reins and firing his 3DMG toward the titans. They were so distracted that he easily took them down deftly with kills by using his speed and strength, making them fall to the earth in a heap of steaming flesh one after the other. 

When the third fell, he swooped in, snatching the boy from the trunk of the tree and firing away from it, uncertain if more titans were coming to that location and set to put some distance between them and that spot immediately. 

Levi stopped a few minutes later, deeper into the forest, carrying the small boy to a branch high enough in a tree that no titan should be able to reach them and set him down across from him, holding onto his tiny wrist as he caught his breath. 

The boy was filthy, his face smeared with dirt and dried blood, his clothes that looked as though they had once been finer than anything Levi had ever seen ripped and torn. He looked absolutely terrified, staring up at Levi with bright blue eyes that were incredibly large, chin length slate hair sticking to his tear streaked face. He was tiny and small boned, likely half the captain’s size, every feature about him petite and delicate in a way Levi had never seen. 

In spite of his disheveled condition, he was breathtakingly beautiful. Like an angel that had somehow found himself in a dangerous and inhospitable environment, the Hell on Earth that was life outside the walls. 

Even more strange than finding someone else alone in the woods, however, was the set of what looked like cat ears atop of the boy’s head in his mess of hair, the same slate color and pressed backward in fright. 

Levi was silent for a few moments, looking the boy over in shock and confusion, his dark eyebrows lifting when the boy grabbed for his tail and pulled it in front of himself to fist at it nervously. 

“What _are_ you?” Levi asked bluntly, keeping a grip on the boy so he wouldn’t fall. He appeared to be half human and half cat – something that Levi had never even heard of in fairy tales or fantasy stories, let alone existing in reality. 

“A neko,” the boy said defensively, eyeing Levi with worry and tugging his wrist that the other refused to release. “Why don’t you have ears or a tail? You look like _them_ …” 

Levi balked at the comment, giving the boy a snort. “You better not be calling me ugly when I just saved your life,” he fired back, biting into his lip when he saw the boy flinch. Levi had never been in a position where his size alone would come across as intimidating until now. “I’m a human. We don’t have ears like that. Or tails. But the titans eat us, too.” 

“Titans…” the boy repeated, then looked up to catch Levi’s eyes. “We called them giants. They… they destroyed everything,” he trailed off as though recalling the devastation he had surely witnessed that had managed to get him to this point. 

Levi felt as though he had been punched in the gut with guilt watching the boy’s eyes well up with tears, his frail shoulders hunching as he held back a sob. The poor thing looked absolutely traumatized, but was trying to stay strong. 

Hell if Levi couldn’t relate to that. 

“Hey, you don’t have to be scared anymore,” Levi offered weakly, sliding his hand from the boy’s wrist to his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. “I can protect you…” 

He wasn’t sure what exactly it was that he was offering, but he felt compelled to keep the little thing safe now that he’d rescued him. For how long and under what circumstances, he didn’t know just yet. 

“That’s what they all said!” The boy snapped, yanking his hand from Levi’s, claws scraping against the captain’s flesh. “They all promised to protect me and keep me safe, above all else, but they’re all dead! They left me to die alone out here in the most brutal way!” 

Levi glanced at his hand, checking the depth of the cuts and then rubbing his lightly bleeding palm against the leg of his pants. 

“Were any of them able to take down three titans at once like I just did?” Levi asked coolly, waving his stinging hand. 

“I had some of the land’s finest looking out for me,” the boy said defensively, giving Levi a hard, challenging stare. “My father was an Earl and I was to take on his position with the Queen after his death as one of her most trusted. I was surrounded by people that would gladly give their life to spare my own, whether to another neko or one of the giants. Even our servants were trained to kill and keep me safe. I’m _nobility_ and I’m _not_ a child.” 

Levi’s nose wrinkled and he looked down at the tiny, trembling thing that was attempting to look intimidating and failing horribly. It would be easy to make a comment about how they must not have been very good soldiers if they were all dead, but something stopped him and instead, he bit back the blunt words and sighed. It was clear by the boy’s clothing that he had come from a place of privilege and what he’d said about his father’s position was likely true – something that Levi tended to have a lot of distaste for as he had been born into a difficult life and resented those from the interior that had been raised with a silver spoon in their mouths and never knew what it was like to feel pain, fear or loss. 

This boy, however, was different. The haunted look in his eyes that he was attempting to mask with pride and bravery was like looking into a window of Levi’s own soul. 

“I’m a high ranking captain in our people’s Scouting Regiment,” Levi explained, attempting to soften his voice in a way he wasn’t accustomed to. “We’re the ones that go outside the walls on expeditions and deal with the titans. I lead a team of elite soldiers; the best humanity has to offer. My kill count is higher than anyone’s.” 

Levi rarely put so much effort into explaining himself. It really shouldn’t matter if this boy believed he was safe with Levi or not. But, as the captain watched the boy processing his words in silence, he realized that for whatever reason, easing the neko’s fears were important to him. 

“What I’m trying to tell you is you’re safe now,” Levi assured him, resisting the sudden urge to reach his clawed hand out to the boy again to take. “I can’t do anything about what you’ve already lost and seen, but I can keep them from getting to you.” 

The boy rubbed his fist beneath his eye, staring back at Levi skeptically. 

“How do I know you’re not lying to me and that you won’t hurt me yourself?” The boy asked with doubt, his tail twisting around his body and against his chest. 

Levi felt his stomach drop at the little thing’s trepidation. 

There was no way on Earth he would hurt the boy. That anyone would was enough to make him prickle with righteous anger. 

“I’m not lying to you,” Levi started, feeling compelled yet again to reach out to the neko and fighting it. “Hell, I’m probably too honest. I usually say whatever I’m thinking,” he said with a snort. “I won’t lie to you, and I won’t hurt you, either. I just saved your life. I’m trying to help you.” 

The boy dropped his head, his shoulders slumping. He looked absolutely exhausted both physically and emotionally, and Levi silently wished he was better with words so he could reassure the neko that he hadn’t gotten himself caught up with another monster. 

“You must want something in return…” the kitten muttered quietly, his bangs falling in front of his eyes. 

Levi frowned, a heaviness forming in his gut at the boy’s reaction. Maybe the privileged little thing understood more about how the world worked than he had initially expected. 

“I’m a soldier, I made the choice to be one a long time ago, even though I knew the costs and how shitty and thankless it can be,” Levi said purposefully, finally reaching out to brush two fingers beneath the kitten’s chin and lift it. “I rescued you because you were in trouble and that’s what I do. Not because I want anything from you or anyone else.” 

The neko still looked doubtful, lips in a tight frown and his shoulders slouched. 

Levi couldn’t necessarily blame him. He’d been through enough nightmares himself and doubted any of them could really compare to whatever the kid had been through outside the walls. 

Suddenly, the boy’s head lifted, his ears perking and eyes widening with horror. 

“They’re coming,” he squeaked out, lurching forward and grabbing onto the captain, wrapping thin arms around his body and clinging to him tightly as he buried his face into his chest. The boy was shaking, ears flattening against his head and his tail puffing out like it was filled with static electricity. 

Levi was stunned, glancing around and seeing nothing in the area beneath where they sat in the tree. 

“Hey, it’s okay,” Levi said quietly, pulling the trembling kitten more securely into his lap and wrapping his cape around his tiny body. “You don’t need to be scared anymore. They can’t hurt you.” 

There was no telling how long it had been since the boy had slept or had a decent meal, or just how traumatized he was. It wasn’t out of the question that he could be having flashbacks or that his mind was playing tricks on him. Levi had been haunted by nightmares for as long as he could remember. 

The boy sniffled and without thinking about it, Levi brought a hand to his head and sifted his fingers through his hair, cupping the back of the crying kitten’s head and holding it against his chest. 

It felt amazing to hold someone so beautiful, like he was being privileged with something he’d never proven himself worthy of before. 

“What’s your name?” Levi asked smoothly, cradling him close and ducking his head down. 

“Ciel,” the boy said quietly, tense and drawing himself closer to Levi. “Ciel Phantomhive.” 

Levi smiled slightly, dropping his chin into Ciel’s hair. It was a fitting name for such a gorgeous boy. 

“I’m Levi Ackerman,” he replied, lifting his head as his jaw dropped in surprise at the unmistakable sound of a titan running through the forest. Not even a minute later, a 20-meter-class titan ran past their tree toward the one he had rescued Ciel from, throwing its arms against it and reaching for where the boy had been clinging to it. 

He glanced down at the boy with wide, questioning eyes, then nodded to himself in understanding when the kitten’s neko ears began to twitch. 

Ciel wasn’t having a flashback – he had superior hearing. 

It had probably helped him survive as long as he had. 

He knew that titans were attracted to humans and would gravitate toward them, but they seemed to have a blood lust for little Ciel that was somewhat unsettling, though the captain was hesitant to point it out. 

“Were there originally four of them chasing you?” 

Ciel shook his head, tugging Levi’s cape even more tightly around his body. 

“I think they’re attracted to my scent. It’s been getting worse over the past few days, though,” he whispered, hiding inside the cape and not even allowing his head to be completely exposed. “You must be masking it now.” 

Levi knew that the titans were attracted to humans, but he’d never seen anything quite like this, where a titan came running from what seemed to be a pretty fair distance over one small boy in a tree. The magnetism was alarming. 

“I’m going to get you out of here alive,” Levi promised, wrapping his arms more tightly around the tiny neko and watching the titan throw itself at the tree where Ciel had last been. “I can protect you, Ciel. Stay with me?” 

Ciel’s claws scraped lightly against Levi’s chest and he nodded, his body tensing up again. “If I don’t take a chance with you, I’ll be left here to die. What choice do I really have?” 

Levi frowned, his heart sinking. He knew that the boy was being presented with a non-choice, but he still felt a sense of rejection that stung. 

“I wouldn’t leave you here,” Levi said honestly, leaning his head back against the trunk of the tree. He had gotten involved and was already invested in what happened to Ciel. He couldn’t leave the boy behind to die alone outside the walls, even if he asked for it. 

“What I meant was, I’m offering to personally look after you,” Levi turned his head, watching as Eld whizzed by and took down the lone titan that had been clamoring against the vacant tree. 

“Levi, are you injured?” Eld yelled after spotting the captain’s horse and Levi whistled to him, a heavy sense of dread overwhelming him. 

In his arms he was holding someone different and never before seen, someone likely to cause hysteria because he was found outside the walls and wasn’t exactly human. The government would react to little Ciel with distrust and he would probably be locked in a dungeon someplace where they could run tests and experiments on him for the remainder of his life, unless he was sentenced to death as a result of all the manic fear of anything they didn’t understand. 

Promising to protect the kitten from the titans was a lot easier than protecting him from humanity, but he had done it before. 

Eren was still alive and relatively free. 

“What happened?” Eld asked, landing on the branch in front of Levi and eyeing the way his cape was wrapped around his body. “Did you get hurt?” 

“No,” Levi said in the calmest voice he could manage, looking at Eld with a firm and deadly serious expression. “We have a situation, and I need you to follow my orders on this.” 

“Of course, Captain,” Eld said with a nod. “You know that I trust you and your decisions with my life. Our entire team does.” 

Levi had chosen a solid team of soldiers that he trusted to follow his orders. Even if they didn’t understand them, they followed him without question. If he wanted to get Ciel inside the walls, he was going to need their cooperation. 

“If you get caught keeping this information from the government, you could go to prison,” Levi warned and Eld looked back at him with confusion before shaking it off. 

“Sir, I will follow your orders,” he promised. “I trust your judgment. If something needs to be kept top secret, I won’t question it or your reasons.” 

Levi nodded and looked down inside his cape at the silent, trembling boy. He didn’t want to put Ciel’s safety and future into the hands of anyone else, but he didn’t have much of a choice. There was no way he could hide him from his team, but they were the ones he felt he could trust most aside from a few that had remained back at base. 

“I found someone,” Levi said levelly and Eld’s eyes widened. 

“Out here?” the scout said with obvious shock. 

“Yes.” Levi watched Eld’s eyes scan over his cape again, trying to figure out just what was going on. “I don’t want him falling into the custody of the government or the Military Police, so his existence has to be kept quiet.” 

“Of… of course, sir,” Eld stammered. “But, how did… how did anyone get out here without us knowing?” 

Levi ducked his head down, looking at the boy that clung to him with his eyes shut tightly. “It’s okay,” he whispered, brushing the back of his hand over Ciel’s cheek. “Eld is one of my best soldiers, he’s going to help me get you to safety.” 

Levi slowly pulled back his cape, revealing just the top of the kitten’s head and then looking back over to a confused Eld. 

“I don’t understand,” Eld said quietly. “How did a kid get all the way out here? And… are those… ears?” 

“He has a tail, too,” Levi explained in an uncharacteristically soft voice, stroking his hand through Ciel’s hair. “He didn’t come from inside our walls. There was another civilization out here somewhere that was destroyed by the titans and he’s a survivor. He said he isn’t a child, I think his kind must be smaller than us.” 

“Holy shit, Levi,” Eld murmured, his mouth hanging open as he processed the information the captain had shared with him. “This is huge.” 

“I know,” Levi admitted, keeping his eyes locked with Eld’s as he continued to pet Ciel mindlessly, doing what felt right to soothe the frightened boy without giving it much conscious thought. “But, if we tell them about Ciel, you know what will happen. We were able to convince them to leave Eren to us and our custody because the Scouting Legion had a military purpose for him, but we don’t have any argument like that for Ciel. The only way to keep him out of Military Police custody is to keep him and what we know a secret.” 

“But, how can we do that? We can get him inside the walls, but people will notice he’s different and…” 

“I’m going to keep him, don’t worry about any of that,” Levi said firmly, pulling the kitten ever closer. “I’ll come up with a long term plan, but for now, we just need to get him inside the walls and to my room without anyone else noticing. Leaving him out here or handing him over to the government aren’t options.” 

“There could be more places like ours out there, Levi. What if we’re not the only humans left?” Eld wondered aloud. 

“We can’t think about that right now,” Levi said firmly. “Our focus needs to be getting Ciel back safely. That’s the mission, do you understand?” 

“Yes, sir,” Eld replied quickly, saluting his superior. 

“Good. We need to meet with the others and get them caught up. I want to get the supplies loaded as quickly as possible so we can get back to the ruins. The titans seem to have an unusual attraction to Ciel that’s fucking creepy and I don’t want to have him out here any longer than we have to,” Levi explained, tucking the strands of the kitten’s long hair behind his human ears. He and the rest of his team were trained and prepared to be out there and face the titans, but Ciel wasn’t. He was vulnerable and untrained; it was a miracle he was still alive out there and whatever animal instincts and abilities he had were likely the only reason. 

Levi waved Eld off and looked down at Ciel, taking one last moment alone with him before he would have to reveal the little neko to his entire squad. 

He’d worried a lot about Eren’s safety, rescuing him several times when things had gone awry. 

Afterward, Eren had never clung to him like this. 

It wasn’t really something he could picture Eren doing, but he liked it. There was something about protecting someone that truly needed it, that didn’t seem ashamed at all that he was being looked after by someone stronger, something that made Levi feel better than he could remember feeling in a long time. 

“I’m going to take care of you,” Levi promised, heart pounding as Ciel finally opened his eyes to look at him again. “Whoever all those people you had before that were supposed to protect you, I won’t let you down like they did. I’ll get you to safety and I’ll stay by your side. I won’t betray you and give you over to the authorities. But, if you don’t help me by cooperating and staying quiet, I’ll get arrested and you’ll be taken someplace terrible. Not all humans are bad, but some of them are, and I need you to do what I say so I can keep you away from them.” 

Ciel sat up slightly, strands of his hair falling over his porcelain face that was still so remarkably beautiful in spite of his condition that Levi couldn’t peel his eyes away. Ciel’s neko ears turned forward slowly and Levi’s breath hitched in his throat. There was no way he was going to let Ciel down. For years he had handed over disappointing news to hopeful people, but not this time. This time he was going to succeed and this kitten was going to know that he could count on Levi. 

“I know all about bad nekos,” Ciel said in a quiet but firm voice. “My father dealt with many of them due to his relationship with the Queen and it…” Ciel paused and looked off into the distance. “I don’t doubt it’s why I’m out here right now. Arrogant, foolish nekos messing around with giants, trying to use them for their own selfish purposes.” He turned his sapphire eyes back to Levi, his fear evident in them even while he tried to look composed. “I’ll do whatever I need to if it means you’ll keep me safe. You have my word with that.” 

“And you have mine,” Levi said firmly, standing up carefully and keeping Ciel tight against his chest, the boy’s body so much warmer now that he had been cradled close to Levi inside of his cape. 

“Hang on tight,” he said as the boy looped his arms around his neck. He fired his 3DMG out into the forest, his cheek pressed against the head of his precious cargo as they flew through the forest toward where the rest of his team would be waiting. 

It was the first time encountering something unexpected outside the walls had given Levi a feeling he’d long since forgotten. 

Hope. 


	2. Chapter 2

Eld had gathered the rest of the Scouts by the time Levi returned to them near the equipment they needed to collect, and they stared at him soaring in with wide eyes and pale faces. If Eld hadn’t told them that Levi had found someone, found a _kitten-boy_ , outside the walls, it was plain to see by the tiny thing clinging to him with his arms around Levi’s neck. They were silent, watching Levi as he landed, lined up with their gaze falling onto little Ciel with wonderment and shock. 

“I’m sure Eld told you that we have an unexpected situation,” Levi started, his voice lacking a bit of its usual bite as he tried to remain aware of the boy in his arms and keep a calm and even tone. “I don’t have a lot of information yet, other than that his people had a civilization of their own that fell to the Titans. He’s alone, he says the others he was with were killed, I believe him.” 

“Sir,” Gunther cut in when Levi paused. “What… exactly… _is_ he?” 

Levi looked down at Ciel, who had his face buried in his neck, his tail flicking nervously and ears pressed back. “He said he’s a neko. He seems… mostly human. With an extra set of ears and a tail. And claws.” 

“So, he can speak?” Petra asked, tipping her head to try to get a better look at Ciel. “You understand him?” 

“Yeah, he talks… very well, actually,” Levi explained, relieved that his team weren’t freaking out like he knew most inside the walls would. They were open-minded, curious, ready to hear him out. He couldn’t have asked for better people. “He’s also not a little kid. I think they must just be small. I don’t know, they’re part cat, or half cat. Something. I guess it makes sense they’d be smaller.” 

“We can’t let the Military Police find out about him,” Gunther said with a frown, looking over to Levi with concern. “You know what they’ll do.” 

“That’s… what we need to talk about,” Levi said with a sigh. He hated asking his team to lie, to jeopardize their own lives and freedom, but if they didn’t, this boy didn’t stand a chance inside the walls. “I need this to be kept a secret. I know it’s asking a lot, but I don’t know what else to do. Once we get him inside, I’ll figure something out.” 

“I don’t mind,” Petra said firmly, and she elbowed her husband in the side. 

“Neither do I,” Olou agreed. “I don’t want any part in giving him to those assholes in the Military Police.” 

“You know I’ll back up your decisions,” Gunther said, glancing over at Eren. “I don’t really like the idea of handing him over to the government either.” 

Levi was relieved. As much as he trusted his team, he knew this was asking them to go above and beyond their duties. Realistically, what Levi had discovered could be ground breaking, could alter the course of human history. But, it would be at the cost of Ciel’s life and any possible semblance of freedom he could ever have. 

“Thank you,” he said with genuine gratitude, putting a hand on Ciel’s back and rubbing it gently. “I appreciate your loyalty.” 

“Sir,” Petra said softly, taking a step forward, smiling just slightly. “What’s his name?” 

Levi pet his hand through Ciel’s dirty hair. “His name is Ciel,” he said as the boy slowly turned his face away from Levi’s neck to look at the soldiers standing around him. 

“Oh, he’s cute!” Petra grinned full on, clasping her hands against her chest. “Hi there, I’m Petra, and we’re all going to help Levi get you back safely.” 

“Thank you,” Ciel said quietly, proving to them all that he could speak. He continued to cling to Levi, looking over the rest of the Scouts around him critically, tail thumping against Levi’s thigh with agitation. 

Levi wasn’t quite sure what to do. He knew he needed to help the rest of his team load up the supplies and be on watch for Titans, but the boy didn’t seem to have any interest in letting go of him. He could feel the kitten’s claws scraping lightly against his back and Ciel’s body was tense. He had reluctantly trusted Levi, if only because he had no other choice, and didn’t seem too warm to the idea of his fate and safety being in the hands of four more unfamiliar humans. 

“Petra, go into the tree and watch for any Titans; everyone else, start loading up the equipment into the wagons. I’ll get Ciel settled and then help; I don’t want to be here long.” 

Even after indicating his intent to put Ciel down, the boy still held onto him. Never in his life had Levi experienced anything like this, from a human or an animal, and he felt completely unprepared for it. 

“I’ll have to put you down,” Levi said quietly, once the others had dispersed from around him and the wagons. Strange as it was, he really didn’t want to. Holding Ciel was rather nice, even with his claws pricking against his skin. It would have been considerably more enjoyable if the kitten wasn’t clinging to him in absolute _terror_ , but with as devoid of human contact as Levi’s life was, he appreciated it nonetheless. Chances were, once he let go of Ciel, he wouldn’t hold anything half as pretty ever again. 

“They’ll smell me,” Ciel hissed, unmoving. 

Levi frowned, his heart sinking in his chest. He knew the boy was scared, but apparently, there had been a part of him that was hoping the kitten liked being held – being held by _him_. 

As it was, he was clinging to Levi for self-preservation. 

“I’ll give you my cape,” Levi forced past the lump that had formed in his throat, blinking back his disappointment. Without realizing it, had he hoped that Ciel just might have liked Levi holding him as much as Levi had? 

Levi knelt down, Ciel’s arms still around his neck as he settled the little neko into the corner of the wagon. He didn’t know what it was he’d expected, really. This was nothing more than a rescue. Somehow, completely by accident, Levi had morphed holding the kitten into something it wasn’t in his mind. 

It was because he was beautiful, and Levi knew that was incredibly shitty of him. Had he carried someone that looked like Olou back to the wagons, he wouldn’t be having these ridiculous thoughts at all. 

He set Ciel down carefully, and the boy looked up at him with wide, shaking eyes, his small pink lip worried. He was frightened and Levi, unintentionally, had tried to twist Ciel’s clinginess into something entirely different than it truly was. 

Levi unbuttoned his cape and wrapped it over Ciel’s shoulders, pulling the hood over his head and the sides around the small neko’s body. “This should help,” he said, resisting the urge to touch the boy’s cheek. Ciel didn’t want his affection; he wanted Levi’s protection. For Levi to do anything beyond what he’d do for anyone else he’d helped in his capacity as a soldier would be inappropriate, and he knew it. 

He set his canteen next to Ciel, the only thing he had to offer him of sustenance. He regretted that they had travelled light; it would have been nice to give the kitten some food to fill his belly and distract him while Levi was busy. 

“You’ll be alright?” Levi asked, lifting an eyebrow at the nervous boy. Ciel was trying to be brave, Levi had seen enough of that to understand, but he was clearly still scared. 

“I’ll be fine,” he said firmly, burrowing himself inside of Levi’s cape until just his bright blue eyes could be seen. His confidence sounded artificial, but it would have to do for now. The sooner Levi got to work, the sooner he could get Ciel to a safer location. 

“I’ll keep you in sight,” Levi promised, standing to go help his team. He felt like shit walking even a few feet away from the boy – Levi could see him trembling out of the corner of his eye – but he understood that comfort was neither his strong suit nor what Ciel wanted from him. 

He worked quickly and luckily, their time in the forest was otherwise uneventful. They worked well as a team, whether it was taking down Titans or loading gear, and Levi was satisfied that they would be able to call it a day much earlier than he’d initially expected. 

Levi had checked in on the kitten many times while he worked, even if only to glance his way and send him a nod, but the boy never took his eyes off of him. 

Ciel was still huddled in the corner of the wagon when they had finished, and while Levi thought that would bode well for sneaking him through the walls the following day, it saddened him that the boy had been through so much he didn’t move all afternoon or eventually feel comfortable enough to remove his cape. 

“Petra is going to pull this wagon, I’ll be in front of you in case we spot any Titans,” Levi explained, and the boy simply nodded, snuggled into Levi’s cape like a blanket. He looked completely worn out, his eyelids drooping and shoulders slumped, cheek rubbing mindlessly against the green fabric. “If there’s an emergency, I’ll come for you.” 

“Okay,” Ciel said quietly, turning hazy, unfocused ears up to Levi’s. “I can’t ride with you?” 

Levi paused, reaching out to readjust his cape over the kitten’s shoulders. There was nothing he wanted more than to have Ciel in his arms again, even if just for a horse ride, but if a Titan showed up it would be highly problematic and impede his ability to fight. “It’s safer for you here in the wagon,” he admitted reluctantly. “We’ll get you back soon. Then you can get cleaned up, eat and get some rest.” 

“Mmm.” Ciel nodded again, leaning back against the wall of the wagon, his head tipping to the side and exposing his pale, dirtied neck. 

The poor thing was exhausted. 

On Levi’s order they left the forest, making their way through the open expanse that lead to the ruins where they had made camp, Levi keeping a sharp eye out for Titans with a renewed sense of purpose. Should they had encountered one on the way there, his team would have handled it without much emotional energy, but Levi was certain that even one, small Titan would further traumatize the already shaken kitten – and he didn’t want that for Ciel. 

Luck was on their side for once, and they made it back to the ruins without incident. Levi dismounted and made his way to the wagon, frowning when he noticed that the kitten still hadn’t moved, even though now they were in a relatively safe environment compared to the forest. 

“It’s alright, if you want to get down now,” Levi said, his brows furrowed as he looked in on the boy. He was slumped down in the wagon, wrapped up in Levi’s cape to his eyes, unmoving. Levi frowned and hoisted himself over the side so he could kneel in front of Ciel, and he carefully picked the boy up, cradling him against his chest without any resistance. “Hey, are you alright?” he asked so softly he barely recognized his own voice. 

Ciel nodded, one small hand coming out from beneath the folds of the cape and twisting into the front of Levi’s white shirt. 

“Why don’t we get you cleaned up and in some warmer clothes?” he suggested and the boy nodded again, silent. 

“I can bring him down to the stream with me to wash up,” Petra offered and Levi turned to her, reluctant to let Ciel go. Her eyes softened when she saw him holding the boy and Levi clenched his jaw. Whether she thought they looked cute together or not, this was still nothing more than a rescue that was a little more complicated than usual. 

“Yeah, that’s a good idea,” he said simply, gently passing Ciel into her arms. The boy hissed and twisted away from her in a sudden, shocking burst of energy, and Petra stepped back with alarm. 

“I can walk,” Ciel spat, narrowing his eyes at her. The hood of the cape fell from his head and his neko ears were flat against his hair, his nose wrinkled and his lips twisted into a snarl. 

“Okay then,” Petra said, confused. She looked over to Levi and he shrugged, baffled by the boy’s behavior just as much as she was. 

Ciel stalked beside her toward the stream and Levi shook it off; cats had a reputation for being testy and he figured it probably wasn’t a stretch that a cat-boy might be a little moody. He went back to the area where he had slept the night before, sitting down on his bedroll and cracking his neck. 

Erwin had been right; the mission had gotten his mind off of Eren for the day – though definitely not for the intended reasons. Levi was going to have to figure out how to smuggle this kid inside the walls, into his room – the only place he could be sure he’d be safe – then figure out what the hell to do for him from there to keep him out of Military Police custody. It would definitely keep his mind busy; he wouldn’t have the time or mental energy to spend on Eren anymore. 

“Levi, can I come in?” Petra called from the door, Levi and stood up, catching the concern in her voice. 

“Yeah, of course,” he said, both of his eyebrows rising when Ciel strode into the room in front of Petra, wrapped up in Levi’s cape with sopping wet hair. 

“I offered him my clothes, since I’m the smallest one here, and he demanded your clothing or nothing,” Petra explained, eyeing Ciel, puzzled. 

“…Okay,” Levi said with pause as the grumpy kitten walked behind him, his sapphire eyes shooting daggers at Petra. “Did something… happen… or?” 

“No!” Petra said quickly, frowning anxiously. “When I tried to give him my clothes he hissed at me!” 

Levi looked behind him and wasn’t entirely surprised to hear that, given the way the boy was giving the stink eye to his subordinate. Ciel’s shoulders were hunched up and ears back like he was trying to scare her off. 

It was somewhat amusing, though Levi didn’t let on. Petra seemed genuinely upset and she had tried to help. 

“Leave him to me, I’ll take care of it,” Levi said, waving her off and turning his attention to the dripping kitten standing behind him. 

“Is this a cats-hate-water thing?” Levi asked, and Ciel cocked his head curiously. 

“Don’t be stupid,” Ciel sneered, lifting his chin. “I take baths every night. Rather, I _did_.” 

“Then what was that about?” Levi thumbed over his shoulder. “Petra’s not bad. She was trying to help.” 

“I don’t want _her_ help,” Ciel said coolly, glaring at the doorway where Petra had left. “Besides, I don’t like the way she smells.” 

Levi snorted, putting his fist in front of his mouth to hide a devilish grin. The kid had a mouth, just like he did. It was unexpected from such a pretty, tiny thing, but Levi found it intriguing. “She smells?” 

“ _Everyone_ smells,” Ciel scoffed with a roll of his eyes. “Hers is unappealing and I don’t want to go around in her clothing. What’s so difficult to understand about that?” 

Levi’s mouth opened and he was about to ask the boy if _his_ smell was appealing, if that was why he wanted to wear Levi’s clothes, but thought better of it. Regardless of the fact that Ciel looked mostly human, he wasn’t _entirely_ , and it followed he’d have certain quirks. Animals had always been fond of Levi. Hell, he’d always been fond of _them_. They were much less irritating than people. 

“Fair enough,” Levi said with a smirk, turning to bend down and dig through his sack for something suitable for Ciel. “I don’t go around sniffing everyone, I leave that up to Mike. If you say she stinks, I’ll have to take you word for it.” 

“Is Mike a neko?” Ciel asked, tipping his head to the side, kitten ears perking up. 

“Nah, he’s just weird,” Levi chuckled, pulling out one of his white shirts and a pair of black socks. “You could probably get away with wearing my shirt for now. It’ll be big on you, but it should do the trick. There’s no way my pants will fit you, though…” 

“I can’t wear your pants, there’s no space for my tail,” Ciel said bluntly and Levi nodded, not having thought of it himself. He wasn’t used to making accommodations for a tail. 

“Yeah. Good point.” Levi held up his socks with a skeptical look. “I guess these could keep your legs warm? They’re clean…” 

“They’re fine,” Ciel replied quickly, snatching the socks and the shirt from Levi’s hands and taking a few steps back. 

“Um, I guess I’ll give you a few,” Levi mumbled awkwardly, standing up and scratching behind his head. He normally didn’t give a damn if any of the guys he knew got changed in front of him, but Ciel was different. 

He was _attracted to_ Ciel. 

“You’ll come right back?” Ciel asked, his question sounding much more like an order, though the fear of being abandoned again was evident in his voice. 

“Yeah,” Levi agreed, looking over the wet kitten clinging to his cape, staring at him with wide, nervous eyes. He was likely still scared to be out here, especially after losing the people he’d been with to the Titans. It made sense he didn’t want to be alone, even if Levi was a stranger. Ciel might have very truly thought he’d never see another neko – or human – again. 

Levi returned a few minutes later with food and drinks for the two of them, nearly smiling when he saw Ciel in his clothes. His shirt went down to the kitten’s knees and his socks were pulled up just as high, leaving only a small flash of pale skin exposed at his knee. The buttons were terribly crooked and the sleeves were rolled unevenly. His hair was a mess, still damp and going every which way, and Levi was speechless. Ciel said he wasn’t a child, but he sure dressed himself like he was one. 

“Can I help you? You’re a little…” Levi had no idea what to say. He generally didn’t care at all about offending people over such small things, but the way the boy was staring at him with an intensity he couldn’t quite decipher made him want to be careful. 

“Yes,” Ciel said softly, looking down at his mussy clothes. “My servants usually…” 

“It’s fine,” Levi interrupted, taking a knee in front of the kitten and unrolling his sleeve. “When we get back into town, we’ll find you clothes that fit better. We’ll cut a hole for your tail, or something.” 

“Will I stay with you?” Ciel asked, watching Levi with interest as his tail swayed behind him. 

“Yeah.” Levi re-rolled Ciel’s second sleeve so it matched the first, then began fixing the buttons on his shirt, starting at the bottom. “I’m sure my room isn’t what you’re used to. I live in the barracks and it’s only one room with a bathroom. I definitely don’t have servants…” 

“It’s fine,” Ciel said, catching eyes with Levi as he buttoned the top button. “What good is an estate and servants if none of it can keep you safe or protect you?” 

“ _That_ I can do.” Levi stood and went to his bag, noticing that the kitten’s eyes followed him the entire way there. “It’s the only thing I’m good at. So if you’re looking for someone that can kill Titans, today’s your lucky day.” There was an unintended bitterness in his words and he sighed, frowning deeply as he returned to Ciel with his comb. 

“You said you’re one of the best of all your people,” Ciel recalled, and Levi nodded. 

“Yeah, I’m good at killing Titans. Not much else.” Levi lifted the comb with a questioning look, moving to hand it to Ciel. 

“Can _you_?” Ciel asked, his ears twitching. “There’s no mirror and I don’t really…” 

“Sure,” Levi blurted out, sitting down on the stone floor and motioning to his lap for little Ciel to sit. The boy looked as though he nearly smiled, slipping almost weightlessly into Levi’s lap with just the slightest upturn of his lip. “Just… uh… let me know if I hurt you? I’ve never actually brushed anyone’s hair before…” 

“Okay,” Ciel agreed, lifting his chin expectantly and shutting his eyes. Levi paused for just a moment, staring at the gorgeous boy in his lap. He was beautiful in an entirely different way than Eren, regal and porcelain skinned, petite and delicate. To have Ciel curled up beside him in bed each night would be a fucking _dream_. 

The thought alone took his breath away. 

He brought the comb carefully to Ciel’s head and ran it through his hair, marveling at how the kitten leaned into his touch. He seemed to like it, Levi brushing his hair, and Levi’s eyes fell lidded, enjoying caring for the boy quite a bit himself. It was nice to feel needed for something other than fighting, even if it was only small, mundane tasks to help the spoiled kitten manage self-care he’d never had to tackle in the past. 

Ciel pressed into the brushing, leaning in toward Levi until his side rested against the captain’s chest. Levi looped his other arm around the boy’s waist, holding him securely so he wouldn’t slip from his lap. His breath hitched in his throat when he felt a vibration in the kitten’s chest, followed by the unmistakable sound of purring, the boys tail swishing contently on the floor behind him. 

Levi was captivated, forgetting to breathe, forgetting to continue brushing, until he was reminded with a soft mew and pat against his wrist. Ciel was gentle this time, his claws retracted in his otherwise human-like hands, slumping against Levi to the point that the captain was actually holding him up, cradled in his arm. 

“Okay,” Levi whispered, running the comb behind the boy’s kitten ears that wiggled and flicked along with his gentle ministrations. He couldn’t recall ever in his life a more beautiful moment than that one, such an innocent, precious creature relaxed and trusting in his arms, the sounds of contentment rolling through his body, soothing even Levi who was always particularly tense. For a moment his heart lifted, thinking of how he was bringing Ciel home with him, back to his room. Would Ciel sit in his lap in his armchair by the fire and allow him to brush his hair this way? Hold him securely and remind him he was safe, even if it was all unspoken? Could this all be the start of something that would make coming home at night not quite so lonely? 

He wanted so much more, but this, what he held purring in his arms right then, it would be enough, more than enough. He could be happier than he ever thought was possible for him if he could only just have _this_. 

“Captain?” 

Levi dropped the comb and it clattered to the floor, turning to the doorway and glaring at Gunther for startling them. Ciel hissed and ducked down in Levi’s lap, tiny claws digging through Levi’s pants and into his thighs. 

“Gunther, what the hell?” Levi snapped, blood rushing to his face at being caught. Caught doing what, he wasn’t sure, but it felt inappropriate. 

Maybe it hadn’t been. Maybe it was only inappropriate that Levi enjoyed it so much. 

“I’m sorry Sir, I didn’t realize…” he looked back and forth between Levi and Ciel, his mouth gaping. 

None of them had ever seen Levi show physical affection toward anyone. Not even Eren. 

He probably looked like a fucking pervert. Like he was trying to take advantage of the traumatized cat-boy. 

“I was combing his fucking hair for him,” Levi snarled defensively, pulling Ciel from his lap and setting him down so he could stand. “He needed help.” 

“I wasn’t saying anything,” Gunther stammered, holding up his hands and stepping back. “I was only checking to see if you two were coming down for dinner.” 

“No,” Levi sneered, furious that his time with Ciel had been cut short by something so unnecessary. “He’s exhausted and having a hard time adjusting to all of you being around. I brought food up here for him so he can eat and go to sleep. I don’t want to be disturbed again unless it’s an emergency, you tell the others that.” 

“Of course, Sir. I’m sorry…” 

“Just go!” Levi snapped, turning away from his subordinate and running his hand through his hair with frustration. 

The relaxation he’d briefly felt had been replaced with tension, and he cursed the fact that the ruins didn’t have doors or any method of ensuring privacy. 

“Are you alright?” He looked down at Ciel who was watching him with keen interest, his ears no longer set back. 

“He does what you say, they all do,” the kitten observed, crossing his arms in front of his chest. 

“I’m their captain, if they don’t its insubordination,” Levi said with a snort. 

“But, they respect you as their leader,” Ciel pointed out. “They’re willing to risk prison to follow your commands.” 

“I guess,” Levi shrugged, sitting down beside his plate of food and taking a bite from a roll. “They’re good soldiers. Gunther wasn’t trying to…” Levi had no idea how to finish his sentence. “He didn’t mean to scare you or anything.” 

“He looked just as surprised to see us as you were to see him,” Ciel deducted, taking a seat on the floor across from Levi and helping himself to his meal. “Why was that?” 

Levi chewed, watching Ciel thoughtfully. He needed to choose his words carefully. He didn’t want to lie to the boy, but he also wasn’t about to expose himself and just how much he’d enjoyed their brief, innocent, physical contact. 

“I don’t usually look after people, it’s not really my thing,” Levi explained. “I leave that shit to Petra or one of the others, if it comes up. But, seeing as you don’t like how she smells, I guess you’ve been getting special treatment from me.” 

“Oh.” Ciel ate quietly, deep in thought, ears twitching this way and that while the wheels in his head turned. “Would you rather I go back to Petra?” 

Levi nearly choked, his eyes widening as he shook his head rapidly and took a drink from his water bottle. “No! No, of course not. I don’t mind… looking after you.” Levi cleared his throat, the kitten watching him curiously. “I wouldn’t have offered it if I did.” 

“With the way he looked at you, I thought maybe you had a mate that wouldn’t appreciate you grooming me.” Ciel scanned Levi carefully, pausing from his rather rapid eating to wait for the soldier’s response. 

“Human don’t have _mates_ ,” Levi retorted, immediately regretting his harsh tone. Ciel had just been thrust into an entirely new society with what seemed to be a slightly different species than his own, though it didn’t make the boy any less human in the ways that really mattered. It was unfair to scoff at his naivety or different understanding of societal norms. 

Ciel blinked rapidly at the comment, seemingly both offended by Levi’s bluntness and taken aback by his comment. “Obviously you must if you have _children_ ,” the kitten muttered defensively. “You humans would have died off if you didn’t have mates. Are you stupid?” 

Levi’s eyes rolled upward and he sucked in a deep breath. He had no idea where the confusion was with Ciel, but this wasn’t a conversation he really wanted to have. “People have sex, that’s about it. All it takes to have a kid. I’m assuming it’s the same thing for you nekos… I thought you said you weren’t a kid? Shouldn’t you have a better grasp on this?” 

Ciel’s cheeks burned red and he turned his face away from Levi, taking another bite of food and chewing angrily. “I’m _not_ a kid. Apparently your kind are less civilized than I thought, that’s all. Where I come from, having a mate… it’s an extremely important bond before starting a family.” 

The boy looked genuinely upset, disturbed, even, and Levi wasn’t sure what to make of it. 

“I don’t see what the big deal is,” Levi shrugged. “It’s not like you’ll be mating with or fucking anyone when we get back, you’re not gonna have any kids to worry about.” 

“Right,” Ciel mumbled, leveling his eyes on Levi. “Apparently not.” 

“I just mean we don’t have any cat-girls running around,” Levi explained, lifting his eyebrows. 

“Yeah, I already gathered that much,” Ciel spat with a roll of his eyes, standing up and walking over to one of the windows that looked down upon the quiet meadows outside. 

Levi didn’t understand what Ciel’s problem was, or where their conversation went wrong. Maybe he’d been a little too brash, especially when he rejected Ciel’s terminology so quickly. He was probably using the term ‘mate’ interchangeably with ‘spouse’ – though Levi couldn’t really be sure. He could ask, but had no inclination to do, considering the boy was standing at the window with his arms crossed and his tail swishing harshly behind him. 

“Are you… okay?” Levi asked with uncertainty. He liked Ciel – liked him a whole hell of a lot, actually. He hadn’t meant to piss him off. 

Levi’s chest tightened and he frowned, having lost his appetite. _This_ , this was exactly why he was alone. He was absolute shit at talking to people, even worse when it came to trying to be affectionate or comforting. 

“I’ll have to be,” Ciel shrugged bitterly, leaning his head against the stone frame of the open window. 

“I told you, I don’t usually…” Levi sighed. “I’m not good with people. I have no idea what I said that pissed you off, but I’m sorry, okay? I’m actually… trying to be decent here. I know you’ve been through a lot and I like you.” 

Ciel was silent in response, so Levi continued to ramble. 

“If anyone else, ever, had told me they didn’t want to go with Petra because they didn’t like how she smelled, I would have told them tough shit,” Levi explained, taking a few steps toward the kitten that seemed to be attempting to look like he was ignoring Levi – though he could tell by the way Ciel’s ears twitched that he was listening to every word he said. “I also don’t make a habit of explaining myself to people or trying not to piss people off… or trying to make anyone un-pissed off at me.” 

Ciel snorted and swished his tail, shaking his head slightly. 

“I’m sorry I offended you,” Levi said quietly, now directly behind Ciel and close enough that with another step, he’d be pressed against the smaller male. “I know you’ve lost a lot and I was probably really… not understanding of that, and that was fucked up.” 

“Who raised you?” Ciel asked, his voice warbling. 

Levi wasn’t sure what to make of the question. It seemed to come out of left field. “My mother…” he said with a hint of confusion. “Until she died. Then my uncle took me in for a few years. When he bailed, I raised myself.” 

“What about your father?” Ciel pressed, sounding even more distressed. “Where was he?” 

“I have no idea,” Levi shrugged, leaning against the window frame with his forearm over Ciel’s head. “I never knew my father; I don’t even know who he was. He probably never even knew I existed, but if he did, he wouldn’t have cared.” 

“That’s horrible,” Ciel said quietly, his crossed arms wrapping around his petite body. “Wouldn’t you have rather had a father?” 

“Of course,” Levi snorted, stating what he thought was the obvious. “My mother and I struggled just to live. I was with her when she died, alone with her. I was just a kid then, I had nowhere to go, so I just stayed with her body and waited to die. Then my uncle – who is a fucking scumbag – took me in. Dragged me into all kinds of shit, then abandoned me. A father would have changed all of that. Hell, my mother would probably still be alive and I wouldn’t be so fucked up.” 

“Then why wouldn’t you stay, why do that to someone else? Don’t you want to be there for your kids and give them a better life than you had?” Ciel looked over his shoulder, up at Levi, a trace of panic in the boy’s glassy eyes. 

Levi was absolutely baffled. 

“Of course I’d stay if I had baby.” He couldn’t understand why this was so important to Ciel. It couldn’t possibly be more of a non-issue – for _both_ of them. No one was looking to settle down with Levi in general, but he’d never been attracted to women. He wasn’t going to be anyone’s father and he doubted Ciel would be now, either. “It’s a situation I’ve never been in, and I don’t really see it ever happening, but if it did… I’d want to be there.” 

“So you’d stay with your mate,” Ciel affirmed, leaning back slightly until his back rested against Levi. 

Levi opened his mouth, about to correct the boy, but thought better of it. Ciel could call it whatever he liked, really. It wasn’t as though it mattered. For whatever reason, what Levi had said seemed to calm the boy’s nerves, and he didn’t want to further upset Ciel. 

Especially not with the way he was leaning back against him, watching the sunset. 

“If I ever had one, absolutely.” Levi was being honest – he’d never abandon his own child, and he certainly wouldn’t go about having one with someone he didn’t want to commit to. It was just such a non-issue for him, he hadn’t really given it much thought. Having someone to come home to would have been more than enough for him, and that was plausible and he didn’t even have _that_. 

“Why don’t you?” Ciel asked, looking up behind him at Levi, his head resting against the taller male’s chest. 

Levi couldn’t be mad at him for asking, even if he should have taken offense. Ciel looked so beautiful with the sky’s pink glow warming his skin and his thick, black eyelashes fluttering as stray strands of slate hair fell across his face. 

“Because I don’t like most people, and most people don’t like me,” he admitted, brushing his hand into Ciel’s hair and tucking the stray wisps behind his ear. 

Ciel’s eyelids drooped and he smirked. “But, you like _me_.” 

“Yeah, well. I said you were getting special treatment, didn’t I?” 

Ciel smiled at that, turning his head back to watch the sun fall behind the tree line. 

“What about you?” Levi asked, his curiosity getting the best of him. “Did you have a mate?” 

Ciel hummed, suddenly seeming much less interested in the conversation now that whatever Levi had said seemed to appease him. “I did, but it was an arranged mating. It hadn’t happened yet, we were just promised to each other by our parents.” 

“Your parents?” Levi asked, running his fingers through Ciel’s silky hair that was so much softer since he’d washed it and it had dried. “That sucks.” 

“Mmm,” Ciel smirked. “I’m nobility, so it was less about compatibility and more about status.” 

“So, you weren’t happy about it?” Levi pressed, finding himself to be strangely relieved that Ciel hadn’t just confessed he’d just lost the love of his life. 

“Absolutely not,” Ciel snorted, wiggling closer to Levi. “My cousin and I couldn’t be less compatible.” 

“Your cousin?” Levi asked with surprise. 

“It’s not uncommon where I’m from,” Ciel sighed. “We didn’t get along, though. So the mating would have been dreadful. I doubt our feelings would have changed much after the fact, in spite of how much my parents insisted they would. I felt nothing when we were around each other, at least, not what one should feel when presented with a potential mate. It’s a relief to be out of it, even if it did all go down in such a catastrophic way.” 

“I’ll bet,” Levi murmured, petting his fingers idly through Ciel’s hair. He couldn’t bring himself to say it, but it was difficult to imagine little Ciel with a girl. He was so beautiful and delicate, more so than any human male Levi had ever seen. He should be pampered and spoiled by someone that could protect him. 

Someone like Levi. 

“I’m sorry about the circumstances, but I’m glad you weren’t forced into something you didn’t really want,” Levi said truthfully, wrapping an arm loosely around Ciel’s waist, as the boy looked particularly tired. Never mind that it was an excuse to hold him. He knew that Ciel was being forced into an entirely different situation now, though Levi planned to have integrity about it, no matter how difficult it was. 

Ultimately, Ciel was still trapped. Only now it was with Levi and so he could survive inside the walls instead of with a mate he apparently loathed. 

“You’re exhausted,” Levi said softly, putting his hand on the boy’s neck and guiding him away from the window to where his bedroll was on the stone floor from the night before. “You can have my bed; you need to get some rest.” He pulled the blankets back and watched Ciel crawl inside, the little kitten turned to him then, lips parted with worry. 

“Do you need something?” Levi asked, brushing the boy’s hair from his cheek. 

“Aren’t you going to stay with me?” Ciel asked with a frown, his chin dropping as he looked up at Levi with those big, round eyes. 

He was scared, of course he was. After everything the boy had been through, being alone was likely a terrifying prospect. And Levi _had_ sworn to protect him. 

“If you want me to.” Levi sat down on the floor beside his bedroll and Ciel scooted away from him to make room, pulling back the blanket and cocking his head, little ears perked with interest. 

“There’s room for both of us, you don’t need to sleep on the floor. It _is_ your bed, after all.” 

Levi paused, staring back at the boy, unsure of what to do. He’d never spent the night sharing a bed with anyone, aside from when he was a child and slept with his mother. It might be something common for Ciel, to sleep with someone else, he _was_ part cat… but for Levi, sleeping with another person was a big deal. 

Especially with someone like Ciel. 

Levi wasn’t sure how he was supposed to lay beside him and not feel anything, particularly the sorts of things he knew he shouldn’t. 

But, he couldn’t bring himself to say no. 

He slid in beside Ciel and laid on his back, his eyes widening when the kitten curled up right beside him and looped an arm over his chest. He felt the boy sigh and relax against him, then watched in disbelief as he nuzzled against his chest. Ciel’s small hand kneaded against his stomach rhythmically and when Levi brushed his hand into the boy’s hair he began to purr, shutting his eyes with a dreamy smile when Levi tested out scratching behind his ears. 

“I’m glad I got there in time today to save you,” Levi whispered as he pet the kitten that had so quickly become indescribably precious to him. “Rescuing you and getting to meet you is the best thing to happen in my life in a long time.” 

“I was so scared, I was screaming for help and I thought I was about to die alone,” Ciel admitted, the pads of his fingers and palm pressing in pulses against Levi’s stomach. “But, you came for me. You didn’t even know me, but you saved me, you took on three Titans that could have killed you to do it. And you asked everyone that respects you to lie, to put themselves in jeopardy, just to protect me.” 

Levi blinked, his heart in his throat. The boy appreciated what he had done, all of it. 

It had been a long time since he had ever felt like anything he’d done had mattered to anyone. 

Ever since joining the Scouts, all they ever got was a barrage of shit after missions for being failures. 

But, this time, he had succeeded. And the reward was right there, warm and purring in his arms, _alive_. 

“I’d do whatever it takes to keep you safe,” Levi promised, wrapping his arm around the kitten’s small frame. 

“I know you will,” Ciel whispered, yawning and snuggling up into Levi’s chest. “You’re a good alpha.” 

Levi wasn’t sure what the boy meant, but by the lazy smile on his lips as he began to doze off, he knew it had been a compliment. He supposed that leading a team of elite soldiers and being able to kill Titans did make him somewhat of an alpha male, though he’d never really thought about himself in that way or used such a word to describe himself. It was probably a cat thing, he mused, much like the ‘mate’ debacle. 

He shut his eyes, smiling himself at just how wonderful it felt to have Ciel in his arms. 

The night before, he hadn’t even known this beautiful boy existed. But, now Levi was willing to do anything and everything just to be able to hold Ciel as he slept like he was right then. 

The feeling of the tiny kitten purring in his arms was beyond anything he’d ever longed for. 

He had found his fish, just like Erwin had said he would. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for giving this a chance!
> 
> You can hit me up anytime @leviheichouackerman <3
> 
> Thank you to @britefairy for beta reading this for me and being all around amazing <3


	3. Chapter 3

Smuggling Ciel inside the walls was stressful for Levi and his entire team. 

Levi knew the other Scouts were worried about the severe punishment they’d receive if they were caught, and rightfully so, but he had other, deeper concerns. 

He’d made a promise to Ciel that he’d protect him and that the little neko would never need to fear for his safety again. If the Garrison found him hidden inside Levi’s bag of personal effects, it was guaranteed they would turn the kitten over to the Military Police. Once in their custody, the only thing Levi could be sure about was that Ciel’s life – for however long he was able to cling to it – would be absolute misery. 

The kitten had still been asleep that morning when Levi woke up, curled up as close to him as the neko could get. Levi had laid there, just before dawn, watching the little thing doze in wonder. Ciel was so breathtakingly beautiful, Levi thought he would never tire of simply looking at him, his delicate facial features juxtaposed with his bold, blue eyes and thick black eyelashes. The neko was content, likely for the first time in a long while, soft and trusting in Levi’s arms like the older male had never actually experienced. 

People tended to be tense around Levi, worried about messing up or pissing him off, or at the very least concerned with trying to impress him. Those that weren’t tense, like Erwin, still didn’t show him this sort of fondness. 

It was the first time in Levi’s life that anyone besides his mother had been affectionate toward him in such an innocent, heartfelt way. 

And for as much as he knew it was dangerous, that he could still get caught bringing Ciel inside the walls and lose him forever, he fell in love that morning with the feeling of that warm, little body in his arms. Each little sigh or mew that passed through the kitten’s perfect pink lips made Levi’s heart swell with tenderness he’d never known he was capable of. This boy needed him so terribly, more than anyone else ever had, and Levi found that he quite liked knowing that he alone would have the privilege of caring for Ciel. The kitten had appreciated him, something Levi wasn’t accustomed to, and he wondered if Ciel’s more animal-like tendencies made him have more of a positive view of him. Indeed, Levi had tended to have better relationships with animals than people, and Ciel was a remarkable blend of both. Perhaps Ciel was able to see something in him, something that made him likable and worthy of affection, that other people missed. 

Then again, the kitten was already bringing out a side of him he wasn’t quite familiar with. 

All of a sudden, there was this little cat-boy whose behavior delighted Levi, when he otherwise would have found it obnoxious, irritating or otherwise intolerable. There was a pool of drool on the front of Levi’s shirt that he somehow didn’t think was disgusting at all. The soft sounds Ciel made, the way he would knead against him in his sleep or nuzzle his face against his chest, it was all so endearing instead of annoying. 

He was precious and Levi adored him so much already, it was hard to believe he’d known the boy less than a day and he’d managed to worm his way so deeply into his heart. 

Levi didn’t generally get excited about things, but he couldn’t wait to bring Ciel home. His mind was on overdrive, imagining what it would be like to come home to the kitten each evening and how much less empty his room and his life would feel. 

It wasn’t that he expected anything from Ciel. Even what he was sharing in that moment with Levi, cuddled up against him and sleeping in those ruins, was more than Levi would have ever imagined, and as much as he would love for it to continue at home – he knew it might not. Just having Ciel’s company would be nice and a vast improvement from where his life was at. He’d long for this, he knew he would, but once they were inside the warmer barracks, Ciel might not feel so compelled to snuggle up to him. He’d do the right thing and offer him his own bed and his own space – as much as possible in Levi’s room. 

Perhaps selfishly, Levi didn’t want the moment to end, so he didn’t wake Ciel after the sun rose and he knew they should be getting prepared to leave. He couldn’t be angry at Gunther when he came up to the room to check on him and when he’d be down, though his subordinate looked as though he had fully prepared himself to be blasted by the captain. 

Levi let it go, dismissing him and waiting until he was gone before he gently woke the slumbering kitten. He cupped the boy’s cheek with his hand and his chest tightened up. He wanted to kiss him. He wanted to wake up him with his lips fluttering all over his delicate features like butterflies. 

He took in a deep breath and collected himself. 

That wasn’t okay. 

The last thing he wanted was for Ciel to feel like he owed him something or that Levi expected anything from him for rescuing him and smuggling him inside the walls to live with him in secret. 

Instead, he combed his fingers through the kitten’s hair and whispered his name, his heart melting when the boy opened his mouth widely to yawn and slowly blinked his eyes until they focused on Levi’s. 

The boy had been reluctant to wake up, staying snuggled up against Levi, unmoving, and without any shame. 

It wasn’t until Levi had said it was time to bring him home that the kitten was receptive at all to starting the day. 

He was silent when Levi packed up, and when the captain made his way to the open doorway, the kitten’s eyes seemed to plead with him to stay there. Levi was about to ask him why he didn’t want to go home with him, his mouth opening to speak and then shutting when he realized that what he feared wasn’t really the case at all. This room in the old castle ruins was probably the first place that Ciel had felt safe in a long time. It shouldn’t be surprising that he didn’t want to leave it. 

“When we get inside the walls, you’ll be more comfortable,” he promised, standing before the kitten and petting a hand through his hair when the boy stepped toward him and rested his head just below his chest. “I haven’t lied to you yet, have I?” 

The kitten shook his head, but he didn’t move, seemingly content to lean silently against Levi for as long as he could. 

Levi wasn’t quite sure what to do. He understood that Ciel had been through a significant amount of trauma – most of which he didn’t even know the details of. Levi was used to being around other soldiers and even civilians with post-traumatic stress disorder, but Ciel’s response toward him was so different than any he’d ever encountered that it left him unsure how he was meant to proceed. 

No one had ever seemed intent on being physically close to him before like Ciel was, and once again, Levi had to remind himself that the boy was at least part cat. If Levi helped him feel safe, he supposed it made sense the kitten would gravitate toward him. 

Without another word, Levi picked the boy up, adjusting him against his hip so he could carry him down to where the other scouts were packing up the horses to leave. Tiny fingers curled into his clothes and his claws pricked through the fabric, lightly scraping his skin. 

“I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” Levi promised in a whisper in the few moments they had left to themselves, wrapping his arms just a bit tighter around Ciel. He was determined to get the kitten safely inside the walls or he’d die trying. 

This mission was more important than any he’d ever had. 

Levi was certain that the others had already had a conversation about how physically close he’d been to Ciel, but the surprise at seeing it for themselves was still evident on their faces when he appeared outside with the kitten clinging to him. 

They’d never seen the captain physically affectionate toward anyone, not even Eren, and they hadn’t been able to mentally prepare themselves for the unusual sight. 

The way Ciel glared at all of them from where he had tucked his head beneath Levi’s chin didn’t help the awkwardness of the situation at all, and the team was silent, waiting for their captain to give orders on how to proceed. 

“I’m going to zip Ciel up in my bag of clothes and personal supplies,” Levi explained, cutting through the uncomfortable silence like a knife. “The Garrison won’t even take a second look at our personal effects when we come through the gate, and whoever has been assigned by Erwin to pull the cannons and shit we’ve been sent to pick up won’t touch any of our things, either. When we arrive, Olou will be in charge and will sign in for everyone and be present for inventory check, and I’ll take my bag with Ciel in it immediately back to my room. You’ll tell anyone that asks that I wasn’t feeling well and went to get some rest, and that I’ll meet with Erwin in the morning.” 

His subordinates agreed to the plan immediately with a chorus of ‘yes sirs’, but one firm voice stood out from the rest. 

“No,” Ciel said abruptly, his first spoken word since the night before. “You’re not putting me on one of those wagons again. I’m going to ride with you.” 

Olou put his fist in front of his mouth to hide a chuckle and the others watched Levi curiously to see how he’d react to the little cat-boy’s defiance. 

“You can’t ride with me,” Levi said with much more softness than any of his team had ever heard. “You’d have to be out in the open to do that, and then it would be a guarantee someone would see you and start asking questions.” 

“I’m _not_ going with her,” Ciel gritted out, narrowing his eyes at Petra as if it was her fault she’d been assigned to pull one of the wagons. 

Everyone was staring at Levi, waiting for the captain to run out of patience and speak to the kitten with the same bluntness he did with others – especially the brats that lacked discipline. 

“I need a minute,” Levi said curtly to his gaping team, walking around the side of the castle and setting Ciel down onto a pile of rubble. The kitten’s claws remained attached to his jacket, and Levi sighed, pulling them off carefully. 

“Why don’t you want to ride in the wagon?” Levi asked, tipping the scowling boy’s chin up so he could look directly into his eyes. “Is it because you’re scared?” 

The kitten’s frown deepened and he gave one sharp nod, crossing his arms and diverting his eyes away from Levi’s gaze. He didn’t seem keen on admitting that he was frightened, like it was a hit to his pride, and Levi tried to understand where the misguided boy was coming from. He didn’t much like the thought of needing to admit he was scared to anyone, either, but if one allowed fear to rule their actions they would likely wind up dead. 

“You’re safer in the wagon than anywhere else,” Levi explained calmly, his forehead creasing as the boy’s eyes dropped to the ground. “I wouldn’t have come up with this plan if I didn’t think it was the best way to get you inside.” 

“But, I want to stay with _you_ ,” Ciel muttered softly, like it was difficult to say the words aloud. “You’re the one that says they’ll protect me, not any of the others.” 

Levi’s heart skipped a beat and hell if he didn’t want to – at the very least – kiss the boy’s forehead and pull him into a hug. Ciel trusted him on some level to take care of him, it was simply not developed enough for the kitten to see the nuances of Levi’s plan. 

“I’m putting you in the wagon so I _can_ protect you,” Levi explained, tucking some of the boy’s hair behind his human ear. “I need easy mobility so that if there are any titans, I can take them down before they even get near you. If you’re riding with me, I won’t be able to defend you as easily and it’ll put you at risk. I want them as far away from you as possible. Do you understand?” 

Ciel nodded reluctantly, hands twisting in his lap like there were things he wanted to say but his pride wouldn’t allow it. 

“I want you to stay with me, too,” Levi admitted, tense with words at the admission that could be taken to mean just as much as it truly did. “That’s why I came up with this plan, so I can do that. Stay by your side and keep you safe. Can you trust in me and my judgment? Trust my team that are willing to risk their lives and freedom to help me protect you?” 

After a brief pause, Ciel nodded again, tiny shoulders heaving in a sigh. Levi didn’t expect him to like the plan, hell, _he_ didn’t like it much either, but it was the best idea he could come up with to smuggle Ciel inside and keep him safe from titans. 

“I don’t want you to get hurt, Ciel.” It was the truth and Levi meant it in every possible way. It was exactly why he didn’t scoop the kitten up into his arms and kiss his pouty lips right then. He didn’t want to confuse him, scare him, make him feel like Levi had expectations of him or plans for him that were anything less than honorable. 

“And if your plan doesn’t work?” Ciel asked, finally looking at Levi again, his jaw set firmly. “If we get back to your people and they discover me stuffed in your bag?” 

It wasn’t probable, but it was still possible, and Levi knew he probably ought to prepare for the worst as much as Ciel was. 

“If they find you, I’ll take you and run.” 

Levi hadn’t thought about it quite yet, so certain that he’d be able to smuggle Ciel in safely, and he was somewhat surprised himself at his sincere response. 

He’d give up everything, the life he’d built and the security he had with the Survey Corps, if it meant saving this cat-boy he’d met only the day before. It took him a moment to process his own feelings, that the affection he’d had from Ciel and the promise of the kitten’s company in the future had been more valuable to him than anything else he had in his life. 

“Where to?” Ciel chuckled with a snort and a slight toss of his hair. “Is there really anywhere to hide inside your walls?” 

“Then we’ll come back here,” Levi countered, unwilling to even entertain the thought of giving Ciel up. “There’s fresh water, I can hunt for food, we could survive in these ruins if it came to that. I’m not going to let the Military Police take you, Ciel. You have my word with that. I’ll kill those assholes if they even think about it.” 

The kitten was quiet, deep in thought as his ears twitched and wiggled. 

“You make such big promises,” he pointed out, cocking his head to the side. “I’d like to believe you, but sometimes men promise pretty things and when they are forced to make a difficult choice don’t follow through. It would be foolish of me to believe you’d do such things for me. Especially when I’ve promised you nothing in return.” 

For as sure of himself as the boy tried to sound, there was sadness in his voice that pulled on Levi’s heart. Ciel wanted terribly to believe him, to think that he was some sort of hero that would rescue him from his awful situation. But, he was shrewd and intelligent and understood the way the world worked. People rarely got something for nothing, and especially not to the degree that Levi was promising. 

“When my mother died, I was alone and waiting to die myself,” Levi said quietly, sitting down on the rubble beside Ciel. “I knew that no one had any reason to want to take me. I had nothing to give and I’d just be a burden, you know? Another mouth to feed. And where I grew up, it was hard enough to feed yourself. I knew no one was going to take in some street kid, and if they did, it would be for some fucked up reason.” 

“But, you said you lived with your uncle?” Ciel turned to look at him, and Levi’s face softened slightly. 

The kitten had remembered. 

“He showed up, out of nowhere really,” Levi said with a shrug. “I didn’t know who he was, sure as fuck didn’t know he was my uncle. He saw my mother was dead and told me to come with him. I mean, I wasn’t a stupid kid. I could tell by looking at him that he was into some shit and I could be walking off to an even shittier life than dying next to my mother. I went with him, though. Maybe because I didn’t want to die yet, maybe I thought that there might be a shred of decency in him and in the world, I really don’t fucking know, I was just a kid. Maybe I was just scared to die alone back then.” 

Levi sighed, shaking his head. “What I’m trying to tell you is, I get it. I know that trusting me is a risk and there isn’t any logical reason why you should. I’m a stranger and you’ve got to be thinking I must want something from you. That’s fair and I don’t resent you for being fucking smart. I admire you for it, if anything. I’m some strange guy, different from you, telling you that I’m going to bring you back to my civilization and protect you. You should think I’m full of shit. I would.” 

“But, I don’t,” Ciel said quietly. “Maybe because I’m like you were. Maybe I’m not ready to die yet. Maybe I want to think you’ll do the things you say you will because I’ve got nothing else.” 

“I’m going to,” Levi promised, placing his hand on the kitten’s back. Ciel had every right, every reason to be scared. His life was in Levi’s hands now and the captain knew it. And more than ever, he wanted to assure the kitten that he understood. “I don’t expect you to believe it right now. I don’t expect very much from you at all, really. Just to trust my plan to get you back inside. I need you to believe it, because I know it’s the best way to keep you hidden and safe. If you can just trust in me for that much, it’s enough for me.” 

“I wouldn’t want to ride with you if I didn’t…” Ciel bit into his lip, his ears turning backward. “I’m just concerned that if your plan doesn’t work out the way you expect it to, that I’ll be even worse off than I am now.” 

“I’m not going to let that happen, Ciel.” Levi curled his fingers over the kitten’s shoulder, and the boy slumped closer to him. “I wouldn’t bring you back there if I wasn’t sure I could get you past the others.” 

“Okay,” the boy whispered, resting his head on Levi’s chest. He seemed even smaller than he was in that moment, leaning on Levi in every way. The kitten was fully dependent on him following through with his promises or his life would be as good as over. Levi knew that the trust Ciel was putting into his hands was precious, and he couldn’t allow it to shatter. 

He wanted this so badly, to have Ciel in his life, just beside him as he was right then. 

He was certain he’d been meant to find the kitten; that the universe had intended for him to wind up in that forest at the very moment Ciel needed to be rescued. It was why nothing had ever worked for him before. 

Even if they were never more than what they were as they sat there in the rubble with Levi’s arm draped around the boy’s shoulder, Levi would be grateful for it. 

He had someone to care for now, that needed it terribly, more than anyone else. 

“I’m glad I’m the one that found you,” Levi admitted quietly, and he felt the kitten’s grip tighten on his shirt. 

Seeing Eren with Jean all those months was awful, but he could barely even think about the jealousy he’d have felt if Ciel was clinging to Gunther, if Eld was carrying him around the ruins and Ciel was purring in one of their laps. 

The kitten’s affection, whether it stemmed from fear, instinct, or something more, was addicting. 

And Levi wanted it for himself. 

Ciel rubbed his cheek firmly against Levi’s chest, and Levi looked down at the kitten and the way his tailed flicked sharply. 

“So am I,” Ciel admitted, like he was revealing a secret he was unsure if he should, and the corner of Levi’s lip turned up in a slight smile. “I know you’re going to do everything possible to get me to safety. I trust you, even if I shouldn’t.” 

Levi picked the boy up then, holding him securely as he carried him toward the wagons and his waiting team. Ciel was reluctant to let go of him as Levi gently slipped him inside his bag, the kitten’s eyes wide and shaking with fear and unfallen tears, belying his otherwise stern and pensive expression. 

“The next time you see me, we’ll be safe in my room,” Levi whispered into his ear as he slowly zipped up the bag. “I won’t let anything happen to you.” 

At first, he wasn’t sure what the sensation was that he felt on his cheek. Something wet that ran across his skin in a quick streak that Levi mistakenly thought might have been one of the boy’s tears. But, when he pulled back and looked at the flushed, nervous kitten, he realized that what he’d felt was a timid but purposeful lick. 

Levi smiled warmly then, and he leaned back down to brush the kitten’s bangs from his face and press his lips to the boy’s forehead before zipping the bag the rest of the way up. He didn’t give a damn about the shocked looks he got from his team as he walked over to his horse, ready to get home and start a new chapter of his life. 

He had every intention of proving to Ciel that it was safe to trust him. He wasn’t going to let down someone he cared about ever again. 


	4. Chapter 4

Returning to the base went even more smoothly than any of them could have hoped. They were all stressed, like they were trying to smuggle in contraband that could get them jailed or killed, and the last thing that any of needed was to have to deal with titans on top of it. 

Fate had smiled upon Levi again, something rather unusual for the captain, and they made it inside the walls without much ado. Just as he had planned, Levi had immediately snatched his bag that contained Ciel from the wagon and silently made his way back toward the barracks, drawing as little attention to himself as possible while Olou and the rest of his team covered for him with the Garrison. 

The combination of excitement and relief he felt when he locked the door to his room was extraordinary. He had managed to pull it off; Ciel was safe and he’d gotten him home. He was really going to get to live with the beautiful kitten and share his life with him. 

It was like a dream come true. 

Levi placed his bag gently onto his bed and carefully unzipped it, his eyes softening when he revealed the trembling kitten. Ciel looked absolutely terrified, his eyes rimmed with red like he had been crying a good bit during the journey back. 

“Hey, we did it,” Levi said softly, brushing Ciel’s damp, sticky hair from where it stuck to his cheeks. “You’re home now.” 

The kitten didn’t move, so Levi helped him up and out of the bag, being as delicate as possible as he pulled him up and into his arms. He expected Ciel to want to get down and explore, but he clung to him immediately, pressing his face into his shirt and turning his neko ears backward. 

He wasn’t sure what to make of it at first, then considered that since Ciel was part cat, he might need extra time to adjust to being in a new place. It was probably frightening and overwhelming for the little thing, and Ciel probably didn’t want to admit it and seem weak. 

“Yeah, it’s been a long day,” Levi murmured, sitting down on his bed with the cat boy in his lap. He barely even knew a fraction of what Ciel had been through, and it was possible that now that he was in a place where he could be safe, he might fall apart. As much as Levi knew that Ciel probably needed to grieve, he hoped to keep things as comfortable for him as possible. “Now you can rest as much as you need, and eat, too. You can help yourself to whatever you want when you’re feeling up to it.” 

Ciel didn’t respond for several minutes, simply clinging to Levi with his face mostly hidden in the older male’s chest. Though it seemed like it might be too familiar of a thing to do, it felt strange _not_ to put his arms around the kitten – so he did. It was innocent enough, he reasoned; something he’d done while they were in the ruins and Ciel hadn’t seemed to mind it. Being held seemed to comfort him, so Levi argued that it had to be an appropriate response. 

“This is where you live?” Ciel finally asked, peeking out from Levi’s chest and surveying the room. 

Levi imagined Ciel was probably disappointed. He couldn’t quite tell by the kitten’s tone of voice, but Levi knew that Ciel had come from so much more and the stark reality of what little Levi had in comparison was probably setting in. 

“Yeah,” he confirmed, suddenly wondering if he was a loser for not having tried harder to move out of the barracks and buy a home. It just seemed pointless without a boyfriend. He had no need for all of the extra space and expense. “It’s your home, too. I want you to treat it that way. Tomorrow, I’ll go to the store and get you whatever you need.” 

“Thank you,” was Ciel’s quiet response. He continued to look about the room, taking in every detail as his eyes swept over the small space. Levi didn’t have much, as he wasn’t one for clutter, and his room contained the necessities one needed to live and not much more. 

It was probably a terrible impression on Ciel. 

“I don’t just mean clothes that fit,” Levi said sheepishly. “I can get you books, puzzles, paper and colored pencils… whatever you like. I don’t really know what you’re into… we hadn’t gotten a chance to talk about it…” 

“Are you asking, then?” Ciel asked, turning to look up at Levi with a tiny smirk on his lips and a look of pure delight in his eyes. 

Levi’s heart skipped a beat. 

“Yeah, I am.” 

“I like to read,” Ciel started, seeming to come alive a bit more in Levi’s lap. “I love mysteries and anything with a good adventure to it. Oh!” he exclaimed, his eyes widening as he perked up. “And I love sweets! Cake, biscuits… fudge! Will you bring me some?” 

Levi held back a chuckle, though he did break out in a grin at the kitten’s excitement. He absolutely never bought such things for himself, but he was eager to home something to Ciel that would bring him such delight. 

“Sure,” Levi promised, his heart racing at the twinkle in the kitten’s eyes. “Anything that will make you feel at home.” 

“May I have a bath? And a change of clothes?” Ciel wrinkled his nose. “It’s been a while and your subordinate didn’t have any soap. Your clothes would be fine again, if you don’t mind.” 

“No, of course I don’t mind. You can wear mine until I can get you some that fit.” Levi helped Ciel slide down from his lap, his socked feet hitting the floor without a sound. “The bathroom is that door right over there,” he explained, pointing next to the fireplace. “I can make some tea for when you get out.” 

“Alright.” Ciel hesitated, his tail flicking as he wrought his hands together and avoided Levi’s eyes. “Then, I should go alone?” 

“To take a bath?” Levi looked at him quizzically, utterly confused. “Don’t you want… privacy?” 

It wasn’t as though Levi hadn’t showered with plenty of men before, but they were soldiers and it was out of necessity – not choice. It seemed to be such a bizarre question, and Levi immediately wondered if Ciel was afraid of being alone. 

“Unless… you’d rather not be alone?” Levi cocked an eyebrow. Ciel looked extremely uncomfortable, if not a bit distressed, shifting his weight between his feet and his neko ears turning backward. “Ciel?” 

Ciel sucked in a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh, his words coming out in a torrent. “It’s just that back at home, my butler would bathe me each evening before bedtime. It’s not something that I’ve ever done on my own and I don’t know how well I’d… I’m sure I’m still rather filthy… but if it’s a problem…” 

“It’s not a problem,” Levi blurted out, taking a few steps toward Ciel and putting his hand on the kitten’s petite shoulder. “I didn’t know.” 

“I suppose you wouldn’t,” Ciel shrugged, looking around the room again. “I’m not an idiot, I’ve just always had others to take care of the mundane details of my life.” 

“It’s really not a problem,” Levi assured him, turning toward the bathroom to begin filling up the porcelain tub with an attached shower head. Giving Ciel a bath was one of the last things he thought he’d ever be doing, but he wasn’t going to deny the kitten some familiarity with what he was used to – even if it was more than a bit awkward for Levi. He’d spent the past 24 hours trying desperately to keep his feelings and thoughts toward Ciel as innocent as possible, and he was sure that seeing him naked would only fan the flames that Levi was trying desperately to keep under control. 

He couldn’t allow himself to fall so hard for Ciel. The kitten needed a place to live, a sense of safety and stability. Making Ciel uncomfortable or feel pressured to have any sort of relationship with him would be terribly wrong. Ciel deserved better than that. 

Levi deserved better than that. 

Already he’d allowed himself to pine for someone that he couldn’t have in the way he wanted, and if it happened with Ciel, it would be a thousand times worse. He’d never be able to escape him; they’d be living together. 

Even worse, he didn’t want Ciel to do anything with him because he felt he had to. 

After everything he’d been through, watching Eren and Jean together, it was important to Levi that someone actually wanted _him_. 

A relationship born of obligation would only make him rot with guilt inside. 

“Levi?” 

He was pulled from his thoughts by a tug on his sleeve, the kitten standing beside him in the bathroom, barefoot and with his head cocked and tail swaying behind him. 

“I need help with the buttons.” 

Levi cleared his throat and began to open the buttons on the white shirt Ciel wore, doing his best to keep his eyes focused no lower than Ciel’s shoulders. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t want to see the kitten’s body; he was sure every inch of him was beautiful, with soft, pale skin and little pink nipples that begged to be licked. 

But, Ciel wasn’t offering himself to Levi. This wasn’t sexual and Levi couldn’t allow himself to think of it that way. The kitten saw it as nothing more than a task his servants performed for him thousands of times, and Levi would be foolish to read anything else into it. 

Levi didn’t say a word when Ciel let the shirt fall from his shoulders and onto the floor, and he knew he was in deep when the kitten’s behavior didn’t even irritate him in the slightest. His shoulders were flawless; petite and porcelain, like they could be so easily bruised by a lover’s hungry kisses. 

Despite all of the resolve Levi had attempted to conjure up, his eyes roamed over Ciel’s back as he stepped into the tub and over the kitten’s plush, round behind. Perhaps it should have been bizarre that there was a tail just above Ciel’s darling, little ass, but oddly enough, Levi found himself barely noticing it. It didn’t throw him, nor did it squelch the desire that was making his own flesh burn red. 

Ciel slid down into the tub, sighing and lolling his head back as his shoulders relaxed. 

“It’s been so long since I’ve had a proper bath,” Ciel mumbled, swirling his fingertips through the water while Levi stood behind him and watched, trying his damnedest not to look through the ripples the kitten made in the tub that gave him a shred of modesty – for the moment. “I was filthy and I loathed being so covered in dirt and grime. I was so disgusting when you found me, you must have been appalled.” 

“I wasn’t,” Levi said softly, uncertain what exactly he was supposed to do now that Ciel’s bath had been drawn and he was settled in the tub. He wanted to tell Ciel that even caked with dirt he was the most beautiful boy he had ever seen, but given the circumstances it seemed wildly inappropriate. If Levi wanted Ciel to be comfortable there with him, he was going to have to try harder than ever to hold back from blurting out whatever thoughts popped into his mind. “I was concerned. I could see you’d been through some shit, that’s all. You weren’t disgusting.” 

Ciel chuckled in a way that seemed insincere, shaking his head and leaning against the back of the tub. “Then I suppose I should thank you for not thinking I was disgusting, even if I was.” 

“You weren’t,” Levi said firmly, his brows furrowing. Ciel seemed displeased with him, and he couldn’t figure out what he’d done wrong. It seemed like more often than not, when he opened his mouth around Ciel, he only made things worse. 

Hell if that wasn’t par for the course with Levi. 

“If I’m so ‘not disgusting,’ why don’t you come wash my hair?” Ciel asked coolly, and Levi’s stomach dropped. “I told you I would appreciate the help. Unless you’d rather not.” 

He’d clearly offended Ciel, and he didn’t understand why. He’d tried to be polite – which was a lot more effort than he usually made for anyone else – but it had fallen flat. 

Levi knelt down at the back of the tub, pouring soap into his hands and then slowly working it into a lather in the kitten’s slate grey hair. Ciel shut his eyes and dropped his head back, his tense expression melting away as Levi massaged his scalp. 

He was such a delicate beauty, at least physically, and Levi longed to lean forward and kiss his damp cheek. Ciel hadn’t seemed to mind when he’d kissed his forehead before their journey home, but that was such a different context. 

Ciel hadn’t been naked then. 

“I don’t mean to piss you off, you know,” Levi said quietly, and Ciel’s eyebrows inched upward. “I generally don’t give a shit what anyone thinks of me, so I just say whatever and if people get upset… I don’t lose sleep over it. I’m not good at saying the right thing, but I’m trying. I really do want you to be happy here. Well, as happy as you can be stuck in this room with me.” 

Ciel chuckled again, this time more genuinely. “You make staying here with you sound like some sort of prison sentence.” 

Levi sighed, his lips twisting into a deep frown. “Because it is. You’re stuck here and you can’t leave. Not unless you want to end up in Military Police custody and in a fucking dungeon. I can’t take you to the store or even outside. It _is_ prison.” 

“I don’t see it that way,” Ciel said softly, wiggling his shoulders and pressing back into Levi’s hands, encouraging him to continue washing his hair that was decidedly clean. “I’ve always carried burdens, like shackles on my soul. I might have been able to go outside and attend social affairs before, but I was never free. My entire life had been planned out for me, before I was even born. My parents had already determined who my mate would be and what lifestyle I would live, and I was left with no say in it, even though my cousin and I obviously lacked compatibility. Every moment of every day was planned out for me. From what I would eat, to what I would read, to what lessons I would take and who I would socialize with and when. Now, I may have to live out my days in this room, but my time is my own. You’ve promised to bring me whatever I enjoy to pass the time. My heart is free and I won’t have to promise it to someone I can barely stand. I might be trapped inside these walls, but I’ve always been trapped inside walls. It’s only now that I’m free to use my time as I’d like, follow my own passions instead of what was decided for me by others. It’s not all so terrible.” 

Levi was stunned, his movements slowing as he listened to Ciel reveal so much about himself. He understood what it felt like to be shackled to a life where escape felt impossible. Levi had been lucky enough to break free of the misery and daily struggle that was life in the underground. Even though he would always be stuck inside walls, he finally had choices and a bit more control over his life and the direction it would take; how he spent his time. 

“I understand what you’re saying,” Levi told him, taking some of the suds from Ciel’s hair and working them down his neck and over his shoulders. “Before I joined the military, I didn’t have any opportunities. I was just… surviving. I guess it wasn’t all that different for you, even though you had nicer things.” 

“I had been sentenced to a miserable, lonely life,” Ciel said softly, beginning to purr as Levi massaged his shoulders. “I think you may have been the first to ever ask me what I like.” 

“I want you to be happy,” Levi repeated, watching the kitten with wonder. Ciel liked his touch, enjoyed it even; it was evident by his purrs. “Now that you’re here, you can focus on what _you_ want. To me, you’re not the son of an Earl. You’re… you. And that’s who I want to get to know.” 

Ciel smiled slightly and he hummed, sitting up so Levi could rinse the soap from his shoulders and hair. Levi wrapped him up in white towel that was much too large from him when he stepped out of the tub, and the kitten followed him back into the main room where Levi rummaged through his drawers for clothing Ciel could borrow. 

“You know, you should just say what you’re thinking,” Ciel declared, leaning against the side of Levi’s dresser and watching him pull a grey, long-sleeved T-shirt out for him to wear. “You shouldn’t try to be someone you’re not on account of my presumed comfort. We’ll be living together for what appears to be a long time, and I wouldn’t mind getting to know you and hearing what you’re really thinking. I should think I deserve your sincerity just as much as anyone else.” 

Levi blinked, taking a moment to process what Ciel was asking of him. 

It seemed fair, but possibly misguided. If Levi was completely candid with Ciel, it could turn their living situation into a veritable nightmare. He needed to consider his words – and his approach – very carefully. 

This wasn’t the time to act impulsively. 

“This is all new for me,” Levi stated, standing up and pulling his shirt over Ciel’s damp head. “What I mean is, it’s an adjustment for both of us. I don’t know what this is going to be like; we’ll have to figure it out together. How this all works.” 

Ciel slipped his arms into the much too long sleeves, quiet with his jaw set firmly as Levi rolled them up for him. The shirt came to Ciel’s knees, and in lieu of socks, Levi suggested he light a fire and warm up the room. 

The kitten had confidence when he spoke that Levi admired. Yes, he was frightened and hadn’t dealt well with being around the rest of Levi’s team – but Ciel wasn’t afraid of him. He spoke to Levi as his equal, like he knew that he was entitled to a certain amount of respect from him without even the slightest doubt. 

It was refreshing. 

“I think it’s worked well so far, don’t you?” Ciel asked once Levi had started the fire and put on some tea. “Was last night an effort for you?” 

“An effort?” Levi couldn’t help but chuckle at the way Ciel stared at him expectantly with his arms crossed and his tail swishing back and forth. 

The only thing that had been an effort had been keeping himself from kissing the beautiful kitten. 

“No, last night was good,” Levi said carefully, keeping an eye on the curious kitten while he poured two cups of tea. “I like having you around.” 

Levi handed Ciel his tea and took a seat in his armchair across from the fire, setting his cup down on the table beside it and watching the kitten with keen interest. He seemed to be trying to figure out how to respond to Levi’s affirmation that he enjoyed his company. 

“And I think that’s the best night’s sleep I’ve had,” Levi admitted, the kitten’s eyes darting to lock with his own. Pink crept up Ciel’s cheeks and Levi’s lips slowly parted with worry. He hadn’t meant to embarrass the kitten or take it too far. 

“Me too,” Ciel said quietly, staring at Levi with his neko ears twitching for what seemed like several minutes, before suddenly setting down his teacup and rushing to the back of the room. 

Levi’s chest tightened, and he stood, worried he’d indeed gone way too far and chased Ciel away. 

But, almost as quickly as Ciel had disappeared, he returned, standing before Levi with a brush in his hand. 

“You need to comb my hair, remember?” he said plainly, his tail curling. “Like yesterday?” 

“Oh,” Levi breathed with relief, sitting back down on his chair running a hand through his hair. “Yeah.” 

Ciel hesitated, chewing on his lip with his eyebrows furrowed, watching Levi critically. 

“…you don’t have to,” the kitten said lowly, taking a step back from him. “Never mind.” 

“No!” Levi blurted out, standing and catching Ciel’s wrist before he could walk away. “I liked combing your hair, c’mere.” 

He pulled the slightly sulking boy closer to him, sitting back down and patting his lap for Ciel. The kitten climbed onto him and sat down, his lips in a tight frown. 

“People don’t usually do this with each other,” Levi explained as he brought the brush up to Ciel’s hair and began to stroke through the silky strands. “But, I like doing this for you. With you. Whatever. I guess I just don’t think to bring it up because I don’t know if this is something you want all the time, or…” 

“Humans don’t groom each other?” Ciel asked, like it was some sort of shocking revelation in a series of things he seemed to despise about the species. “What do your kind have against showing affection? Are you afraid it will make you appear weak?” 

“What?” Levi froze, stunned by the pouting boy’s assessment of human behavior. As far as Levi knew, humans were pretty affectionate. Maybe _he_ wasn’t, but other people certainly were. Even if they didn’t brush each other’s hair. 

Levi’s train of thought halted right there and suddenly, it clicked. 

Ciel was asking for him to groom him to show him affection. 

Ciel wanted his affection. 

“Humans aren’t afraid to show affection,” Levi said so softly he barely even recognized his own voice. “Some of us aren’t very good at it. Not because we don’t want to be or because we’re afraid of looking weak, but because we haven’t ever had anyone to give it to.” 

Ciel looked down into his lap, fiddling with the tip of his tail. 

Levi wasn’t sure if Ciel was as touch starved as he was, desperate for physical comfort, or this was something more. He looked genuinely worried, like humans were far more complex than he was prepared for and he was overwhelmed with trying to figure them out. 

“I liked sleeping with you,” Levi admitted, brushing the backs of his fingers over Ciel’s cheek to tuck a strand of his hair behind his human ear. “It felt good, holding you in my arms and listening to you purr.” He took in a deep breath, shutting his eyes for a moment to find the motivation to reveal what he knew could bring Ciel either comfort or distress. “I’d like to sleep with you like that tonight, but if you don’t want to, I can give you my bed until I can get another mattress for you. I won’t be mad at you if you don’t. And I’m not trying to make you feel uncomfortable or like you have to do something you don’t want to do. I just… think maybe you should know that I thought that was nice.” 

Ciel turned in his lap, leaning against him with his cheek on Levi’s chest and curling one of his fists up into the older male’s shirt. 

Levi lifted his hand, slowly bringing it to Ciel’s head and carefully stroking his fingers through his hair. The otherwise silent kitten began to purr, and Levi relaxed a bit, scratching behind Ciel’s neko ears and rubbing his fingers through them to massage the tips. 

For whatever reasons, Ciel wanted to be held and touched – and it appeared to be exclusive to Levi, what with the way he had treated everyone else. 

“Can I ask you something?” Ciel asked after Levi had hooked his other arm around the kitten’s waist. His voice was so soft and uncertain, Levi couldn’t help but lean down and kiss the top of his head. 

“Of course you can.” 

“…can you smell me?” Ciel asked in that tiny voice, his fingers twisting in the fabric of Levi’s shirt. “Like, my scent? You haven’t said anything. I’m… not sure how to take it. I expected that at the very least, after my bath you’d have scented me, but you haven’t and I… I don’t really understand.” 

Levi squinted his eyes, trying to otherwise keep his expression blank. This was obviously another neko ‘thing’ that Levi didn’t understand, and he needed to try and be sensitive. Hell if hadn’t nearly fucked everything up with the mate conversation they’d had the day before. 

Ciel seemed deeply concerned, almost… hurt, because Levi hadn’t commented on how he smelled or ‘scented’ him, whatever _that_ was. The kitten had made it clear he didn’t like the way Petra had smelled the day before, and Levi had taken it as mostly a joke, but apparently it was all much more serious than he had originally realized. 

“I… mostly smell the soap that I washed your hair with,” Levi said carefully, brushing his hand over the kitten’s cheek. “I don’t think my sense of smell is as strong as yours. I’ve never even noticed Petra smelled like anything. I think you smell good, though… if that’s what you’re asking?” 

Levi was pretty sure he was wrong when his question was met with silence. 

“I don’t know what you mean by ‘scenting’,” Levi continued, trying his best not to further upset the kitten. “If you explained it to me, I would.” 

“It’s supposed to be instinct,” Ciel whispered, his body tense in Levi’s lap. “You’re supposed to want to.” 

“I _do_ want to,” Levi said sincerely, brushing Ciel’s hair back from his forehead. He didn’t even know what it was, but he knew he wanted to do it. “Tell me how.” 

“This is humiliating,” Ciel muttered, curling up smaller in Levi’s lap. “Forget it.” 

“Oh come on,” Levi challenged, lifting the boy’s chin upward and looking down at him. “What’s embarrassing is that my nose is shit. Show me what I’ve been missing out on. I want to know.” 

Ciel sat up with a despondent huff, avoiding Levi’s eyes. “You… you smell right here,” Ciel mumbled, tapping on his neck behind and beneath his human ear. “But, you really don’t need to,” he insisted, pushing his shoulders back in a show of pride. 

“Okay,” Levi said, grinning slightly at the embarrassed kitten. He didn’t mind the opportunity to get close to Ciel’s neck at all. He might not be a neko, but it didn’t mean he didn’t find Ciel’s delicate, sensitive skin to be enticing. 

Levi leaned in, brushing his nose beneath Ciel’s ear and breathing in deep as the kitten shivered and latched back onto his shirt. It was so cute, Levi laughed softly and placed a light kiss directly onto the spot Ciel had so begrudgingly pointed out. The kitten mewed, and Levi’s heart felt light as he brought his lips to Ciel’s human ear. “You do smell different there,” Levi whispered, letting his nose graze over the curves of his ear. “Sweeter. Like honeysuckle. I like it.” 

He was startled when the kitten surged toward him and wrapped his arms around his neck, burying his face there and trembling with what Levi thought was relief. It was so completely unexpected and such a dramatic display from a boy that seemed rather guarded and stand-offish. 

“Ciel? Are you okay?” Levi asked, unsure where to put his hands. 

The kitten nodded sharply, holding onto Levi more tightly than ever before. 

Levi couldn’t understand Ciel’s reaction, but he didn’t mind it, enjoying the precious kitten’s hugs so much that his throat constricted with the overwhelming feeling of happiness that washed over him like a drug. 

He wrapped his own arms around Ciel, nuzzling his nose into his hair and kissing his head. The kitten purred loudly, brushing his cheek against Levi’s shoulder and neck. His gorgeous blue eyes were only half open, like he was in a daze, and as Levi pet through his hair, the boy melted in his arms. 

Underneath all of the bravado and posturing, Ciel smelled as sweet as he truly was. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!
> 
> And a special thank you to @britefairy03 for her support and beta-reading for me :D

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading and giving something unusual a chance! If you enjoyed it, please let me know! <3


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